LIBRARY 

OF 


ARMY  LIFE 


A  PRIVATE'S 


REMINISCENCES  OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR 


BY 

REV.  THEODORE  GERRISH 

LATE   A    MEMBER    OF   THE   20TH    MAINE    VOLS. 


WITH  AS  INTRODUCTION   BY 

HON.  JOSIAH  H.  DRUMMOND 


PORTLAND 
HOYT,    FOGG   &    DONHAM 

193  MIDDLE  STREET 

LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
BAVIS 


Copyrighted,  1882, 

BV 

T.  GERRISH. 


B.  THURSTON  &  CO., 

Electrotypers  and  Printers. 

PORTLAND,  ME. 


PREFACE. 


MANY  volumes  have  been  published  in  regard  to  the  late 
Civil  War  in  America.  By  these  the  nation  is  made  familiar 
with  the  movements  of  our  armies,  and  the  results  of  those 
great  military  campaigns.  These  volumes  have  been  written 
by  civilians  and  officers  of  high  rank,  and  consequently  the 
story  of  the  private  soldier's  life  has  never  been  told. 

That  life  was  made  up  of  events  and  surrounded  by  circum 
stances  of  the  most  interesting  character.  Not  interesting  to 
the  soldier  alone,  but  of  interest  to  his  friends,  and  all  who 
enjoy  the  fruits  of  victory  purchased  by  his  sacrifices  and 
patriotism. 

It  was  to  supply,  to  a  limited  extent,  this  want  so  universally 
felt  that  the  writer  consented  to  furnish  "The  Sketches  of 
Army  Life"  for  the  Republican  Journal,  of  Belfast,  Maine. 
The  officers  had  spoken,  but  this  was  a  voice  from  the  ranks. 

Through  the  kindness  of  its  editors,  the  Republican  Journal 
bore  the  utterances  of  that  voice  to  thousands  of  American 
homes.  Other  papers  generally  assisted  in  the  movement,  and 
gave  the  "  Army  Sketches  "  a  circulation  that  the  writer  never 
dared  to  hope  they  would  obtain.  From  the  homes  thus 
reached,  there  has  come  forth  such  a  demand  to  have  the 
Sketches  preserved  in  permanent  book  form,  that  the  writer 


4  PREFACE. 

has  consented  (by  thoroughly  revising  the  articles  already  pub 
lished,  and  adding  much  new  material),  to  make  the  book  of 
which  this  is  a  preface. 

It  is  the  author's  design  to  give  a  truthful  representation  of 
the  marches,  skirmishes,  battles,  associations,  and  camp-life  of 
the  private  soldier. 

While  the  narration  of  events  here  recorded  will  furnish  a 
complete  history  of  the  Twentieth  Maine  Regiment,  it  will  also 
be  a  volume  designed  to  interest  all  classes  of  readers. 

Hoping  that  its  contents  will  inspire  each  reader  to  an  intense 
loyalty  for  the  country,  and  a  greater  affection  for  its  defenders, 
this  book  is  submitted  to  the  public. 

T.   O. 

BUCKSPORT,  MK.,  April,  1882. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

FROM  POBTLAND  TO   ANTIETAM  ...  13 

CHAPTER  II. 
BATTLE  OF  ANTIETAM    .  .  .  .  .30 

CHAPTER  III. 
FROM  ANTIETAM  TO  FBEDEBICKSBUBGH  .  .  50 

CHAPTER  IY. 
THBEE  VISITS  TO  FBEDEBICKSBUBGH          .  .  .72 

CHAPTER  V. 
HOOKEB'S  CAMPAIGN— CHANCELLORS VILLE      .  .  85 

CHAPTER  YI. 
GETTYSBUBGH     .......      100 

CHAPTER  VII. 
FBOM  GETTYSBUBGH  TO  RAPPAHANNOCK  STATION     .  120 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
RAPPAHANNOCK  STATION        .....      135 

CHAPTER  IX. 
THE  "WILDERNESS  CAMPAIGN  OPENED  •  »  156 

CHAPTER  X. 
THE  BATTLE  OF  SPOTTSYLVANIA     .  .  .  173 


O  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XL 
NORTH  ANNA  TO  THE  JAMES       •  .  ,  .  187 

CHAPTER  XII. 
IN  FRONT  OF  PETERSBURGH  .  .  .  .200 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
THE  WELDON  RAILROAD  ....  212 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
FIVE  FORKS        .  .....      225 

CHAPTER  XV. 
THE  SURRENDER      .....  247 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
APPOMATTOX  TO  RICHMOND  ...  268 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
MARCHING  THROUGH  RICHMOND  .  286 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
THE  GREAT  REVIEW  .  .  296 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
HOMEWARD  BOUND  ...  303 

CHAPTER  XX. 
HOSPITAL  LIFE 

•  »  «        olU 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
PEN  PICTURES  OF  UNION  GENERALS     .  .  323 


CHAPTER  XXII. 
A  REVIEW 


.      350 


INTRODUCTION. 


THE  story  of  "  THE  WAR  "  has  been  often  told, 
but  such  were  the  magnitude  and  immense  extent  of 
the  operations  that  every  successive  account  of  it 
adds  much  of  interest  that  had  been  left  untold. 
But  while  this  book  is  no  exception  to  the  rule  just 
stated,  it  has  one  peculiarity  not  found  in  any  of  its 
predecessors.  Hitherto  the  story  has  been  told  only 
by  officers,  or  parties  not  actually  engaged  in  the 
military  operations,  but,  so  far  as  I  know,  this  work 
of  ME.  GEEKISH  is  the  first  from  the  standpoint  of 
a  private. 

Considering  the  vast  number  represented  by  the 
author,  it  is  quite  remarkable  that,  within  the  twenty- 
one  years  since  the  war  began,  no  one  has,  heretofore, 
attempted  to  tell  the  experiences,  sufferings,  and 
noble  exploits  of  the  men  who  enabled  their  officers 
to  gain  an  undying  fame,  and  whose  patient  endur 
ance,  unwavering  patriotism,  and  unsurpassed  hero 
ism,  saved  the  union  of  the  States,  demonstrated 
that  the  United  States  is  a  Nation,  and  not  a  mere 
Confederation,  and  rescued  from  its  sorest  peril  the 
Republican  form  of  government. 


8  INTRODUCTION. 

Those  of  us  who  were  in  active  life  during  the 
war,  by  personal  communication  with  the  soldiers 
themselves,  learned  much  of  what  came  within  their 
own  experience  and  observation  ;  but  the  generation 
which  is  coming  upon  the  stage,  and  those  which 
shall  succeed  it,  must  depend  upon  what  has  been' 
or  shall  hereafter  be,  written.  But  the  time  within 
which  these  reminiscences  can  be  written  by  those 
actually  engaged  in  the  war,  is  rapidly  passing  away ; 
and  the  day  will  soon  come  when  all  which  has 
not  been  made  a  matter  of  record,  will  be  found  only 
in  the  domain  of  uncertain  and  unreliable  tradition. 

The  number,  too,  of  those  who  knew  the  events  of 
the  war,  as  they  transpired,  is  already  less  than  that 
of  those  who  must  learn  those  events  from  history. 
We,  who  have  the  daily  bulletins  of  that  terrible 
struggle  indelibly  stamped  upon  our  memory,  can 
scarcely  realize  that  even  now  more  than  one-half  of 
the  community  have  learned  the  details  of  the 
contest,  as  we  learned  those  of  the  War  for 
Independence. 

While,  therefore,  all  will  find  much  that  is  new, 
and  very  interesting  in  this  book,  it  is  an  acquisition 
exceedingly  valuable  to  those  who  must  look  to  such 
a  source  in  order  to  learn  the  routine  of  a  private  sol 
dier's  life  in  the  War  for  the  Union. 

Of  the  manner  in  which  the  author  has  performed 


INTRODUCTION.  9 

his  undertaking,  it  is  not  necessary  to  speak,  for, 
whoever  begins  to  read  this  work,  will  certainly  not 
be  content  to  lay  it  aside  until  the  last  page  has  been 
completed  But  one  circumstance  connected  with 
its  preparation  should  not  be  overlooked.  It  was 
first  mainly  published  as  newspaper  articles,  and  read 
by  hundreds  who  participated  in  the  events  of  which 
MR.  GERRISH  has  written.  If  there  were  any 
material  errors  in  his  statements,  they  would  have 
been  challenged  at  once  by  those  properly  jealous 
of  their  own  reputation,  and  that  of  their  officers ; 
so  that  the  author  has  really  had  the  advantage  of 
the  criticism  and  indorsement  of  very  many,  equally 
as  familiar  with  the  facts  as  himself,  and,  on  that 
account,  his  history  may  be  taken  as  unusually 
reliable. 

In  another  respect,  for  the  purposes  of  this  work, 
the  author  is  fortunate.  His  regiment  participated 
in  so  many  of  the  great  and  decisive  battles  of  the 
war  that  his  field  of  experience  was  quite  excep 
tionally  broad. 

I  most  earnestly  commend  this  book  to  all  who 
love  their  country,  and  have  faith  in  a  government 
by  the  people.  While  we  will  not  detract  one  iota 
from  the  credit  due  to  the  great  heroes  of  the  war, 
who  led  our  forces  to  final  victory,  we  must  not 
allow  the  brightness  of  their  glory  to  eclipse  that  of 


10  INTRODUCTION. 

our  soldiers,  who  were  ready  to  follow  wherever  they 
were  ready  to  lead.  That  we  have  a  country,  and  a 
government  by  the  people,  is  due  to  both  officers 
and  soldiers.  Let  each  have  their  meed  of  honor, 
and  let  their  glorious  deeds,  without  discrimination, 
be  kept  alive  in  the  memory  of  their  countrymen. 

J.   H.  D. 


EEMINISCENCES  OP  THE  VAK. 


CHAPTER  I. 
FROM   PORTLAND   TO   ANTIETAM. 

ON  the  second  day  of  September,  1862,  a  regiment 
of  uniformed,  but  unarmed  men,  marched  from  Camp 
Mason,  near  Portland,  Maine,  to  the  railroad  depot, 
from  whence  it  proceeded  by  rail  to  the  city  of  Bos 
ton.  The  regiment  numbered  ua  thousand  strong"; 
and  as  we  marched  through  the  streets  of  Boston, 
the  sidewalks  were  covered  with  people  who  were 
eagerly  looking  at  us. 

"  Where  are  you  from?"  bawled  an  old  salt,  who 
stood  leaning  his  back  against  a  lamp-post.  "  From 
the  land  of  spruce  gum  and  buckwheat  cakes,"  loud 
ly  responded  a  brawny  backwoodsman  fresh  from 
the  forests  of  his  native  state.  A  loud  laugh  rang 
out  from  the  crowd.  One  gentleman  swung  his  hat, 
and  proposed  "three  cheers  for  the  old  pine  tree 
state."  Hip,  Hip,  Hip,  and  a  rousing  volley  of 
cheers  ran  along  the  street  for  many  blocks. 

We  soon  reached  the  wharf,  where  we  embarked 
on  board  the  United  States  transport  "Merrimac,"  a 
huge  steamer  of  some  three  thousand  tons  burden. 

We  quickly  proceeded  to  our  new  quarters  "  be 
tween  decks,"  but  had  barely  time  to  stow  our  knap 
sacks  away  in  the  rough  berths,  before  we  heard  the 


14  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

sound  of  music  and  loud  cheering  upon  the  wharf, 
and  the  36th  Massachusetts  regiment,  a  gallant  body 
of  men,  twelve  hundred  in  number,  marched  on 
board  the  Merrimac,  and  shared  our  quarters  with 
us.  The  two  regiments  numbered  some  twenty-two 
hundred  men,  and  occupied  every  square  foot  of  space 
that  the  steamer  afforded. 

Preparations  for  departure  were  rapidly  made,  and 
soon  the  plank  was  pulled  in,  the  lines  were  cast  off, 
the  great  engine  began  to  throb  with  a  fiery  life,  and 
we  glided  down  the  harbor, — I  knew  not  where. 

With  moist  eyes  and  heart  strangely  throbbing,  I 
stood  in  the  midst  of  the  crowd  pressed  against  the 
steamer's  rail,  and  looked  toward  the  city,  now  fast 
receding  from  view,  but  I  saw  not  the  countless 
domes  and  spires  of  the  great  town.  I  did  not  no 
tice  the  great  business  blocks,  and  heard  not  the  rush 
and  hum  of  .traffic  that  fell  upon  my  ear  like  the 
music  of  a  distant  waterfall.  I  was  thinking  of 
home,  and  seemed  to  see,  like  a  picture  on  the  distant 
sky,  a  great  forest,  a  small  clearing  on  the  hillside,  a 
little  cottage  home,  and  a  circle  of  dear  friends  as 
they  stood  with  tearful  eyes  to  say  good-by,  as  I 
thus  took  my  departure  from  home.  A  sickly  sensa 
tion  came  creeping  over  my  heart,  a  great  lump  gath 
ered  in  my  throat,  but  just  at  that  moment  a  ser 
geant,  who  sat  on  a  huge  pile  of  baggage,  began  to 
read  a  paper  just  purchased  in  the  city :  it  contained 
the  condensed  telegrams  of  the  preceding  week — 
telegrams  that  had  sent  mourning  and  consternation 
all  through  the  loyal  North.  "McClellan's  retreat 
from  the  peninsula."  "Major  General  John  Pope 


REMINISCENCES  OF  THE  WAR.  15 

assumes  command  of  the  Army."  "  His  headquar 
ters  are  to  be  in  the  saddle."  "  A  terrible  battle  has 
been  fought  on  the  old  battle-field  of  Bull  Run,  in 
which  the  union  forces  have  been  disastrously  de 
feated."  "  A  terrific  encounter  between  the  right 
of  Pope's  army  and  Stonewall  Jackson  at  Chantilly, 
twenty  miles  from  Washington,  in  which  the  Union 
ists  are  defeated."  "  General  Stevens  and  brave 
Phil  Kearney  are  among  the  slain."  "  Lee  still  ad 
vancing."  "Washington  is  in  danger."  "  The  war 
to  be  transferred  to  Northern  soil." 

It  would  be  difficult  to  describe  the  emotions  of 
the  listeners  as  the  news  was  read.  Each  man  com 
prehended  the  fearful  situation  of  the  army  we  were 
hastening  to  reinforce,  but  not  a  cheek  grew  pale  at 
the  thought  of  coming  danger.  A  son  of  the  old 
Bay  State,  from  the  hills  of  Berkshire,  climbed  up  in 
the  rigging  of  the  steamer,  and  proposed  three  cheers 
for  "  Old  Abe,"  and  at  least  a  thousand  voices  re 
sponded  to  the  call.  Three  more  were  given  for 
"Little  Mac,"  and  then  three  times  three  for  the 
"red,  white  and  blue."  Men  cheered  until  they  were 
hoarse,  the  air  was  filled  with  flying  caps,  and  the 
good  steamer  Merrimac  shook  from  truck  to  keel. 

Thus  began  my  first  voyage  on  the  ocean.  Every 
thing  was  new  and  exciting  to  my  boyish  vision. 
The  steamer's  space  between  the  decks  had  been 
filled  with  rude  bunks,  and  in  these  we  were  stowed 
until  every  square  foot  of  space  was  occupied,  and 
then  hundreds  of  men  were  obliged  to  remain  on  deck. 

The  first  night  was  one  of  unnecessary  alarm. 
Several  rumors  were  flying.  "  The  lower  hold  was 


16  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAR. 

said  to  be  filled  with  powder  and  munitions  of  war." 
"And  one  of  the  Confederate  privateers  had  been 
seen  cruising  in  the  vicinity  within  a  short  time. 
If  we  came  in  contact  with  her,  we  would  be  all  cap 
tured,  or  blown  to  the  stars,  by  their  firing  a  shell 
into  the  magazine  under  our  feet."  "  Some  won 
dered  what  we  should  do  if  the  steamer  should 
strike  a  rock  and  go  down."  And  thus  the  hours 
pass.  The  steamer  rolls  in  the  swells  of  the  ocean. 
There  is  the  sickening  and  monotonous  roar  of  the 
machinery,  and  the  tramp  of  feet  overhead. 

The  atmosphere  grows  thick  and  foul ;  sleep  re 
fuses  to  come  to  my  relief.  At  last  all  is  still  save 
the  rumble  of  machinery,  and  the  ceaseless  lapping 
of  the  waves  against  the  sides  of  the  steamer.  All 
are  sleeping ;  suddenly  there  is  a  fearful  crash.  Fif 
ty  voices  shout,  "She  has  struck  a  rock."  Fifteen 
hundred  men  spring  from  their  bunks,  and  with  a 
mighty  surge  rush  for  the  gangway.  The  panic  is 
terrible.  Men  push,  swear,  crowd,  strike,  and  rush 
on,  but  to  our  horror  the  hatch  is  fastened  down,  and 
there  is  no  escape.  Then  some  one  for  the  first 
time  discovers  the  cause  of  the  alarm.  The  boat 
has  not  struck  a  rock,  but  a  long  tier  of  bunks  inse 
curely  fastened  had  fallen  upon  the  tiers  below,  and 
all  had  gone  down  together. 

A  general  laugh  followed  this  discovery,  all  de 
claring  they  had  not  been  frightened  in  the  least, 
and  we  returned  to  our  bunks  wiser,  and  I  trust, 
braver  men. 

Thus  days  and  nights  passed;  the  weather  was 
beautiful,  and  the  ocean  like  a  sea  of  glass. 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR.  17 

Through  the  days,  we  studied  the  ever-changing 
sea,  dotted  here  and  there  with  snowy  sails.  We 
watched  the  flight  of  birds,  and  the  playing  of  the 
fish.  At  night  we  would  dream  of  home  and  friends, 
or  of  the  scenes  of  carnage  toward  which  we  were 
hastening. 

On  the  morning  of  September  7th  our  steamer 
drew  up  to  a  wharf  at  the  city  of  Alexandria,  Vir 
ginia,  seven  miles  below  Washington.  At  this  point 
the  Potomac  river  is  a  mile  in  width,  and  in  the  har 
bor  of  Alexandria  the  largest  vessels  can  find  an 
chorage. 

The  landing  was  made  ;  our  regiment  disembarked, 
and  stood  for  the  first  time  upon  the  "  sacred  soil  of 
Virginia." 

Alexandria  was  a  city  of  some  twelve  thousand 
inhabitants  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  rebellion,  and 
was  of  considerable  commercial  importance.  At 
this  time  it  was  occupied  by  a  small  Union  force, 
and  the  "stars  and  stripes"  were  flying  from  the 
public  buildings. 

We  were  to  remain  for  a  short  time,  and  went 
forth  to  make  our  first  visit  in  a  southern  town. 
Darkies,  dirt,  and  demoralization  met  the  eye  in 
every  direction.  There  were  but  few  places  of  inter 
est  to  visit,  and  the  most  important  of  these  was  the 
"  Marshall  House,"  from  which  Colonel  E.  E.  Ells 
worth  removed  the  secession  flag,  on  the  24th  of 
May,  1861.  We  climbed  to  the  roof  from  which  the 
flag  had  been  torn,  and  stood  on  the  stairs  where  the 
blood  of  the  brave  patriotic  colonel  had  mingled  with 
that  of  the  disloyal  Jackson. 


18  REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAK. 

As  we  stood  on  the  stairs,  and  cut  small  pieces  of 
wood  from  them,  to  bear  away  as  relics,  we  seemed 
to  draw  an  inspiration  from  the  memory  of  the  brill 
iant  soldier  who  there  gave  his  life  to  his  country. 

At  night  we  encamped  near  the  city.  Our  blank 
ets  were  unrolled,  and  we  lay  down  to  rest.  The  air 
was  balmy  and  scented  with  southern  mint.  We 
were  weary  with  the  excitement  of  the  past  week. 
God's  stars  twinkled  overhead  as  if  to  assure  us  of 
his  protection  and  care.  Amidst  the  falling  shower 
of  mist  and  dew  we  passed  our  first  night  on 
southern  soil.  At  sunrise  the  reveille  awakens  us. 
Breakfast  is  eaten,  and  we  embark  on  board  a 
small  steamer  for  Washington. 

The  capital  of  our  country  in  1862  but  little  re 
sembled  the  capital  of  to-day. 

It  was  the  Sabbath  day  when  we  entered  the  city. 
At  home  it  had  been  a  day  of  quiet  rest,  or  delight 
ful  worship.  How  strange  the  surroundings  seemed 
to  us  as  we  marched  along  the  streets  of  Washing 
ton.  Every  one  was  excited  over  the  recent  defeats 
suffered  by  the  Union  army,  and  the  rapid  advance 
of  General  Lee. 

The  demoralization  of  war  was  visible  on  every 
hand.  Regiments  of  soldiers  filled  the  squares, 
squadrons  of  cavalry  were  dashing  along  the  streets, 
batteries  of  artillery,  long  lines  of  baggage  wagons 
and  ambulances  were  seen  in  every  direction.  We 
marched  to  the  United  States  Arsenal,  and  here  ev 
erything  reminded  us  of  war.  Great  piles  of  dis 
mounted  cannon  looked  grimly  upon  us,  stacks  of 
shot  and  shells  surrounded  them,  the  building  itself 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR.  19 

was  packed  with  fire-arms  of  every  design,  from  the 
old  flintlock  musket  of  continental  times  to  the  rifle 
of  most  modern  make.  Our  regiment  was  equipped 
and  armed  with  Enfield  rifles,  and  there  was  dealt 
out  to  each  man  forty  rounds  of  ammunition.  We 
now  supposed  we  were  model  soldiers,  and  marched 
proudly  away.  That  night  we  encamped  near  the 
arsenal  grounds. 

On  the  8th  we  were  assigned  to  Butterfield's  fa 
mous  "Light  Brigade,"  "Morrell's  Division,"  "Por 
ter's  Corps,"  and  late  in  the  afternoon  of  that  day, 
by  the  way  of  the  long  bridge,  we  marched  to  Fort 
Craig,  on  Arlington  heights,  to  join  our  brigade. 

It  was  a  most  ludicrous  march.  We  had  never 
been  drilled,  and  we  felt  that  our  reputation  was  at 
stake.  An  untrained  drum  corps  furnished  us  with 
music ;  each  musician  kept  different  time,  and  each 
man  in  the  regiment  took  a  different  step.  Old  sol 
diers  sneered ;  the  people  laughed  and  cheered ;  we 
marched,  ran,  walked,  galloped,  and  stood  still,  in 
our  vain  endeavors  to  keep  step.  We  reached  our 
destination,  joined  the  brigade,  stacked  our  arms,  and 
encamped  for  the  night.  We  were  now  a  part  of 
the  army  of  the  Potomac. 

The  brigade  which  we  joined  was  composed  of  the 
Twelfth,  Seventeenth,  and  Forty-fourth  New  York 
regiments,  Eighty-third  Pennsylvania,  and  Sixteenth 
Michigan.  The  army  was  greatly  excited  over  the 
grave  situation  of  affairs,  and  the  soldiers  were  loud 
ly  rejoicing  over  the  fact  that  General  McClellan 
had  again  assumed  command  of  the  army. 

We  remained  on  Arlington  heights  until  the  12th 


20  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR. 

of  September.  The  situation  daily  grew  more  seri 
ous  and  alarming.  General  Lee  had  advanced  with 
great  rapidity,  and  with  a  large  army  had  crossed 
the  Potomac  river,  and  invaded  Maryland,  while  an 
other  portion  of  his  army,  under  the  irresistible 
"  Stonewall  Jackson,"  was  reported  as  moving  swift 
ly  toward  Harper's  Ferry,  intending  to  crush  and 
capture  the  Union  forces  of  Colonel  Miles,  and  then 
rejoin  the  main  rebel  army  under  General  Lee. 

On  the  lith  we  received  marching  orders.  A 
large  portion  of  the  army  had  already  entered  Mary 
land,  and  were  in  hot  pursuit  of  the  rebels. 

Through  the  entire  night  we  could  hear  the  steady 
tramp  of  infantry,  the  rattle  of  cavalry,  and  the 
heavy  rumble  of  passing  artillery. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  12th  our  brigade  was 
in  line  ;  it  was  a  novel  scene  upon  which  we  looked  ; 
long  lines  of  blue-clad  men  were  moving  down  over 
the  slopes  of  Arlington,  and  crossing  the  Potomac 
river  to  Maryland.  Bands  were  playing,  bugles 
blowing,  drums  beating,  and  orderlies  were  dashing 
to  and  fro.  Division  and  brigade  commanders,  sur 
rounded  by  their  staff  officers,  were  moving  rapidly 
to  the  front.  Our  brigade  soon  formed  a  part  of  the 
moving  column,  and  we  thus  entered  upon  a  forced 
march  through  "  Maryland,  my  Maryland." 

At  first  the  novelty  of  our  situation  made  march 
ing  very  easy  work,  but  this  was  soon  worn  off,  and 
we  began  to  learn  the  hardships  of  a  forced  march. 

No  pen  can  describe  the  sufferings  and  physical 
exhaustion  of  an  army  of  infantry  marching  thir 
ty  miles  a  day,  and  no  one  but  a  person  who  has 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  21 

looked  upon  such  a  scene  can  form  an  opinion  of  the 
true  situation. 

My  readers  have  all  read  the  brilliant  description 
given  by  army  correspondents,  of  soldiers  upon  a 
march,  and  you  have  looked  upon  pictures  portray 
ing  the  same,  and  have  admired  the  well-dressed 
lines  and  solid  columns.  Each  man  perfectly  erect, 
and  measuring  just  so  many  inches  of  space  at  each 
step,  his  gun  carried  in  just  such  a  position,  his 
knapsack  and  all  equipments  in  perfect  order ;  and 
you  have  wondered  how  drill  and  discipline  could 
transform  men  into  machines  in  so  short  a  space  of 
time.  These  things  look  well  on  paper,  but  they 
only  exist  in  the  brilliant  imaginations  of  the  cor 
respondents. 

Let  us  for  a  brief  time  review  a  passing  column 
of  the  "  old  army  of  the  Potomac." 

On  the  crest  of  this  hill  we  will  have  an  excellent 
outlook,  and  obtain  a  fine  view  of  the  situation. 
The  sun  is  swiftly  rolling  down  the  western  skies, 
mantled  in  fleecy  clouds  of  gold.  The  vision  can 
extend  for  miles  in  almost  any  direction,  far  out 
over  broad  acres  of  meadow  land,  up  over  rich,  fer 
tile  hillsides,  over  great  farms,  magnificent  orchards, 
bending  low  under  their  burden  of  golden  fruit,  and 
far  in  the  distance  you  see  Frederick  City,  said  to  be 
in  possession  of  the  enemy,  and  beyond  are  the 
heights  of  South  Mountain,  where  he  is  intrenched. 

The  advanced  lines  of  the  two  armies  are  now 
near  each  other,  and  there  must  soon  be  a  battle. 

Now  we  will  look  at  these  passing  troops:  first 
comes  a  few  squadrons  of  cavalry,  brave,  sun- 


22  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

burned  fellows,  covered  with  dust.  Each  man  sits 
so  naturally  upon  his  horse  that  we  almost  imagine 
them  to  be  one.  The  distinctive  color  of  the  caval 
ry  is  yellow.  You  will  notice  yellow  stripes  and 
straps  upon  the  uniforms  of  officers  and  men. 

Each  man  is  armed  with  a  saber,  a  breech-loading 
carbine,  and  a  huge  navy  revolver.  Men  and  horses 
are  worn  and  jaded  by  long  marches,  but  are  dash 
ing  at  a  rapid  pace  to  the  front.  They  are  followed 
by  a  battery  of  artillery.  The  artillery  color  is  red, 
red  straps  and  chevrons  upon  uniforms  of  dark 
blue.  There  are  six  twelve-pound  guns  in  this 
battery.  Each  gun  is  drawn  by  three  pairs  of 
horses,  and  after  each  gun  follows  a  caisson,  or  am 
munition  wagon,  also  drawn  by  six  horses.  Each 
pair  of  horses,  upon  both  guns  and  caissons,  have  a 
single  rider. 

All  battery  officers,  both  commissioned  and  non 
commissioned,  are  mounted  on  horses,  while  the 
men  ride  on  guns  and  caissons  as  best  they  can. 
The  commands  of  the  commanding  officer  are  all 
given  to  a  bugler  by  his  side,  who  repeats  them  in 
bugle  calls.  Each  man  and  horse  understands  the 
orders  thus  given.  When  a  battery  goes  into  action, 
it  advances  at  a  sharp  gallop,  as  nearly  as  possible  to 
the  position  it  wishes  to  occupy.  The  horses  are 
then  detached,  and  sent  a  short  distance  to  the  rear. 
The  men  seize  the  guns,  and  run  them  into  position. 
Each  caisson  is  stationed  directly  in  rear  of  its  re 
spective  gun.  Every  man  has  his  position,  and 
knows  what  work  he  has  to  do. 

They  are  so  well  trained  that  in  the  most  terrible 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAR.  23 

battle  there  is  no  confusion,  and  everything  moves 
like  clockwork. 

Closely  following  the  artillery  is  a  column  of  in 
fantry,  winding  like  a  great  serpent  along  the  dusty 
road. 

I  will  tell  you  something  of  the  organization  of 
the  army  of  the  Potomac,  and  how  you  can  easily 
distinguish  one  portion  from  another.  The  army  is 
divided  into  what  is  known  as  "  Army  corps," 
each  corps  being  numbered,  and  having  a  peculiar 
mark  or  badge  by  which  it  can  be  recognized  from 
either  of  the  others. 

The  badge  worn  by  the  First  corps  was  a  globe. 
This  badge  was  placed  upon  the  corps  flags,  and  also 
upon  the  uniforms  of  the  men.  The  badge  of  the 
Second  corps  was  a  clover  leaf,  or  club,  that  of  the 
Third  corps,  a  diamond,  that  of  the  Fifth  corps,  a 
Maltese  cross,  that  of  the  Sixth,  a  Roman  cross,  and 
that  of  the  Eleventh,  a  crescent.  Each  corps  was 
divided  into  three  divisions.  These  are  distin 
guished  from  each  other  by  the  color  of  the  corps 
badges  just  referred  to.  The  first  division  is  always 
red,  the  second  white,  and  the  third  blue. 

Each  division  is  usually  divided  into  three  bri 
gades,  and  these  are  distinguished  from  each  other 
by  the  color  of  their  corps  badge  and  the  border  of 
the  brigade  flag.  The  latter  is  a  small  triangular 
flag.  The  corps  badge  with  division  color  will  be  in 
the  center.  If  it  is  the  first  brigade,  one  side  of  the 
flag  will  have  a  heavy  border  of  opposite  color  from 
the  flag;  if  the  second  brigade,  two  sides  will  be 
thus  distinguished;  if  the  third,  then  the  border 


24  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

will  extend  around  the  entire  flag.  Each  brigade  is 
composed  of  an  indefinite  number  of  regiments,  de 
pending  much  upon  their  size.  Look  at  that  pass 
ing  brigade;  it  has  a  small  white,  triangular  flag,  a 
dark  blue  border  extending  around  the  elitire  field, 
and  a  red  Maltese  cross  in  the  center.  It  is  the 
Third  brigade,  First  division,  Fifth  Army  corps ;  in 
the  army  it  is  known  as  "  Butterfield's  Light  Bri- 
grade,''  so  called  in  honor  of  its  late  gallant  Com 
mander  General  Daniel  Butterfield,  who  at  this  time 
is  filling  another  position. 

That  short,  thick,  gray-haired  man  in  a  colonel's 
uniform,  at  the  head  of  the  brigade,  is  Colonel  Stock 
ton,  of  the  Sixteenth  Michigan  regiment,  now  in 
command  of  the  brigade. 

That  first  regiment  in  Zouave  uniform  is  the  For 
ty-fourth  New  York,  or  the  "  Ellsworth  Avengers," 
as  they  are  called.  The  next  is  the  Twelfth  and  the 
Seventeenth  New  York  regiments,  and  then  the 
Eighty-third  Pennsylvania,  followed  by  the  Six 
teenth  Michigan. 

These  regiments  were  all  mustered  m  1861,  and 
are  fresh  from  the  peninsula  campaign,  and  the 
more  recent  battle-fields  of  Bull  Run  and  Chantilly, 
where  they  have  displayed  great  bravery.  The  last 
regiment  in  the  brigade  is  clad  in  a  new  uniform, 
and  has  nearly  as  many  men  as  the  rest  of  the  bri 
gade.  It  is  a  new  regiment,  and  this  is  their  first 
march.  The  colonel  is  every  inch  a  soldier.  He  is 
well  mounted,  and  his  eyes  flash  as  brightly  as  the 
silver  eagles  upon  his  shoulders.  That  is  Colonel 
Adelbert  Ames,  a  graduate  of  West  Point,  and  a 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAR.  25 

soldier  of  the  regular  army.  He  was  severely 
wounded  at  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run,  is  a  native 
of  Rockland,  Maine,  and  one  of  the  bravest  officers 
in  the  army.  That  tall,  scholarly  officer,  riding  by 
his  side,  is  Lieut.-Colonel  Chamberlain,  late  a  pro 
fessor  in  Bowdoin  College:  he  has  made  an  excel 
lent  record  in  the  field  of  letters,  and  will  undoubt 
edly  distinguish  himself  upon  the  field  of  battle. 
The  regiment  is  the  Twentieth  Maine,  and  the  same 
whose  movements  I  traced  in  the  beginning  of  this 
chapter. 

But  look  at  the  men  of  which  the  brigade  is  com 
posed,  and  they  are  only  a  sample  of  the.  entire 
army.  It  is  "rout-step  and  arms-at-will."  The 
ranks  are  in  disorder,  and  nearly  every  file  is  broken. 
Every  man  is  for  himself;  many  have  fallen  out 
from  the  ranks ;  others  are  footsore  and  exhausted, — 
see  them  limp  and  reel  and  stagger  as  they  endeavor 
to  keep  up  with  their  regiments.  These  men  were 
doubtless  acquainted  with  fatigue  before  they  en 
tered  the  army,  but  this  fearful  strain  in  marching 
so  many  miles,  in  heavy  marching  order,  for  succes 
sive  days,  is  too  much  for  them.  Brave,  strong  men 
fall  fainting  by  the  wayside,  and  will  never  see  their 
regiment  again.  They  had  hoped  to  defend  the  old 
flag  on  the  battle-field,  but  that  is  denied  them  ;  and 
far  back  in  the  rear  of  regiments  and  brigades,  is  a 
legion  of  stragglers,  sick,  lame,  discouraged,  cow 
ardly,  all  grades  mixed  in  hopeless  confusion.  Some 
are  there  from  choice ;  they  enlisted  only  to  secure 
the  pay  and  bounty,  and  are  determined  to  "play 
out "  as  quickly  as  possible ;  others,  brave  and  am- 
2 


26  BEMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR. 

bilious,  are  mortified  because  they  are  not  able  to 
keep  up  with  their  regiments. 

The  first  class  will  crawl  into  the  barns  and  out 
buildings  to  sleep  and  escape  the  "  Provost  Guard." 
The  others  will  tramp  painfully  on  all  night  long, 
and  perhaps  overtake  their  comrades  in  season  to  be 
gin  with  them  to-morrow's  march.  It  is  a  sad  spec 
tacle  upon  which  we  look,  and  all  caused  by  the  sin- 
fulness  of  men. 

But  still  the  steel-crowned  column  surges  on  like 
the  links  of  an  endless  chain. 

Our  line  of  march  lay  through  the  beautiful  town 
of  Frederick  City,  that  nestled  like  a  gem  amidst 
the  great  green  hills  of  Maryland.  Its  inhabitants 
had  passed  through  a  strange  experience  that  week, 
as  the  two  hostile  armies  had  passed  back  and  forth 
through  its  streets. 

"Stonewall  Jackson,"  fresh  from  the  siege  of 
Harper's  Ferry,  was  reported  to  have  been  in  com 
mand  of  the  forces  that  held  the  town  for  several 
days.  The  larger  portion  of  its  inhabitants,  like  so 
many  of  the  people  of  Maryland,  were  undoubtedly 
in  active  sympathy  with  the  rebels,  and  rejoiced  in 
all  the  successes  they  had  gained.  They  had  given 
the  rebels  a  warm  reception,  but  when  we  passed 
through  in  pursuit,  they  met  us  with  frowns  and 
angry  words.  A  few  were  loyal  to  the  union,  and 
among  these  was  old  "Barbara  Frietchie,"  whose 
Spartan-like  devotion  to  the  old  flag  has  been  im 
mortalized  in  the  poem  of  Whittier. 

There  was  intense  excitement  in  the  town,  as  we 
passed  through;  our  troops  had  driven  the  enemy 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR.  27 

from  his  intrenched  position  at  South  Mountain, 
after  a  desperate  struggle,  and  had  followed  him 
through  Sharpsburg  to  Antietam  creek.  The  houses 
and  yards  were  filled  with  the  wounded  soldiers  who 
had  been  brought  back  from  the  field  of  battle.  We 
were  pushed  rapidly  forward,  and  soon  began  to  see 
signs  of  the  late  conflict.  A  large  squad  of  prison 
ers  were  being  brought  to  the  rear — the  first  live 
"  Johnnies  "  our  regiment  ever  saw ;  they  were  tall, 
lank,  slouchy  looking  fellows,  clad  in  dirty  gray 
uniforms.  We  soon  came  to  where  the 'earth  had 
been  torn  up  by  exploding  shells,  buildings  were 
riddled  through  and  through  with  shot,  and  trees 
were  torn  and  twisted  by  flying  missiles.  We 
marched  over  the  field  and  up  the  hillside  where  our 
troops  had  fought.  Every  house  and  barn  was  filled 
with  the  wounded ;  fresh  mounds  on  the  hillsides 
told  where  our  dead  had  been  buried. 

Surgeons  with  sleeves  rolled  to  their  shoulders 
were  busily  at  work  around  the  rough  tables  they 
had  hastily  constructed.  Legs  and  arms  were  being 
amputated  by  dozens,  and  the  poor  groaning  victims 
upon  the  tables  were  objects  of  pity.  Squads  of  men 
were  at  work  caring  for  the  wounded  and  burying 
the  amputated  limbs.  It  all  looked  cruel  and  bloody 
to  us  who  were  unused  to  such  scenes. 

I  climbed  the  stone  wall  and  rude  breastwork 
where  the  enemy  had  made  their  final  stand,  and 
from  which  our  men  had  driven  them.  There  had 
not  been  time  to  bury  the  rebel  dead.  They  lay,  as 
they  had  fallen,  in  groups  of  half-a-dozen  each,  and 
single  bodies  scattered  here  and  there,  all  through 


28  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAR. 

the  scattering  oak  growth  that  crowned  the  crest  of 
the  hill.  They  were  of  all  ages,  and  looked  grim  and 
ghastly.  Old  men  with  silvered  hair,  strong  men  in 
the  prime  of  manhood,  beardless  boys,  whose  smooth, 
youthful,  upturned  faces  looked  strangely  innocent, 
although  sealed  in  a  bloody  death.  With  a  hushed 
voice  and  careful  tread  I  passed  over  them,  wonder 
ing  if  the  time  would  come  in  the  varying  fortunes 
of  war,  when  the  enemy  would  thus  pass  over  the 
bodies  of  our  own  regiment,  lying  lifeless  and  cold 
upon  some  bloody  field. 

Ominous  sounds  were  coming  from  the  front. 
Clouds  of  dust  hung  thick  and  heavy  over  the  mov 
ing  columns  of  both  armies,  the  roaring  of  artillery 
and  bursts  of  musketry  were  frequently  heard,  show 
ing  that  the  advanced  lines  of  the  army  had  come  in 
contact,  and  that  each  was  endeavoring  to  obtain  the 
"vantage  ground."  Darkness  came  on  and  we 
camped.  We  now  learned  that  the  enemy's  line  of 
battle  was  in  our  immediate  front,  that  General 
Burnside  was  in  command  of  our  left  wing,  that  ex 
tended  to  Antietam  creek,  that  "Fighting  Joe 
Hooker"  commanded  our  right,  and  had  already 
gained  an  important  advantage,  and  with  his  usual 
audacity  had  pushed  his  troops  across  Antietam 
creek,  close  up  to  the  enemy's  front.  Everything 
was  now  in  readiness,  and  the  great  battle  was  to  be 
fought  on  the  morrow. 

The  rattle  of  musketry  died  slowly  away.  All 
was  as  quiet  as  the  grave,  save  a  scattering  firing 
occasionally  heard  from  the  right.  The  blankets 
were  unrolled,  and  the  tired  soldiers,  both  blue  and 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  29 

gray,  lay  down  to  sleep  and  rest.  The  Antietam 
creek  rolled  on  its  sullen  course,  breaking  the  silence 
of  night  with  its  murmuring  waters.  Thick  clouds 
of  solemn  vapor  seemed  to  hang  over  the  sleeping 
combatants.  The  stars  twinkled  down  sorrowfully 
through  the  gloom,  and  the  mists  came  in  gentle 
showers  from  the  skies,  as  if  the  angels  were  weeping 
over  those  who  were  to  be  slain  upon  the  morrow. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  BATTLE   OF   ANTIETAM. 

DAYLIGHT  dawned  upon  anxious  hearts,  on  the 
eventful  day  of  September  17,  1862.  At  an  early 
hour  the  troops  were  in  line.  The  battle  began  on 
our  right  flank,  where  Hooker  opened  a  terrible  fire 
of  artillery  and  musketry  upon  the  enemy. 

Our  division  was  ordered  forward,  as  we  supposed, 
to  take  a  place  in  the  line  of  battle,  but  after  march 
ing  a  short  distance  we  halted  under  the  protection 
of  a  long  ridge  of  land,  a  short  distance  in  rear  of  our 
line  of  battle. 

We  were  in  Fitz  John  Porter's  corps,  and  it  is 
well  known  that  his  corps  was  held  in  reserve  at 
An  tie  tarn. 

Up  to  this  time  all  had  been  quiet  in  our  immedi 
ate  front,  which  was  near  the  center  of  our  line  of 
battle,  but  suddenly  a  twelve-pound  gun,  planted 
upon  the  opposite  side  of  the  hill  from  us,  sent  a 
shell  screaming  across  Antietam  creek,  and  far 
within  the  rebel  lines.  The  enemy  quickly  re 
sponded,  battery  after  battery  joined  in  the  combat, 
and  in  every  direction  we  could  hear  the  hissing, 
screaming  shells,  and  see  the  puffs  of  white  smoke 
where  they  exploded.  Two  of  us  obtained  permis 
sion  to  leave  the  ranks  for  a  short  time,  and  ascended 
the  hill  in  front  of  our  regiment,  hoping  that  from 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  81 

its  top  we  could  obtain  a  good  view  of  the  battle 
field.  Slowly  we  ascended  the  elevation  of  land. 
A  wounded  soldier  who  had  just  come  over  the  hill, 
sat  upon  the  ground  in  our  front,  and  was  vainly  en 
deavoring  to  remove  the  boot  from  his  wounded  foot. 
Before  we  could  reach  him  to  lend  our  assistance,  he 
was  relieved  from  all  further  difficulty.  A  solid 
shot  from  a  rebel  gun  came  bouncing  like  a  foot-ball 
over  the  hill,  struck  the  poor  fellow  upon  the  shoul 
ders,  crushed  them  to  a  jelly,  bounded  over  our  regi 
ment,  dashed  and  rolled  down  the  road,  sending 
confusion  among  a  squadron  of  passing  cavalry,  as  it 
rattled  among  the  feet  of  their  horses. 

From  the  crest  of  the  hill  we  obtained  a  fine  view 
of  the  conflict.  The  rebel  line,  we  judged  from  the 
rising  clouds  of  smoke,  was  some  four  miles  in 
length,  his  right  reaching  to  within  a  mile  of  the 
Potomac  river,  and  rested  upon  the  Antietam  creek, 
at  what  was  known  as  the  Stone  bridge.  Their  en 
tire  line  was  on  the  western  bank  of  this  creek, 
and  occupied  a  very  strong  position  on  the  ridges 
of  land  and  among  the  trees. 

The  rebels,  undoubtedly,  had  brilliant  expecta 
tions  that  morning.  The  delay  of  our  commanding 
general,  on  the  day  before,  in  not  pressing  the  battle, 
had  enabled  the  rebel  divisions  under  Lawton  and 
Jackson,  fresh  from  the  victory  of  Harper's  Ferry, 
to  join  the  main  army.  General  Lee,  the  most 
brilliant  commander  of  the  Confederacy,  now  com 
manded  an  army  of  one  hundred  thousand  men ;  his 
left  wing  was  commanded  by  Jackson,  his  right  by 
Longstreet,  and  his  center  by  Hill.  To  reach  them, 


32  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

our  men  must  cross  the  deep  Antietam  creek,  and 
storm  the  heights  beyond,  and  these  were  cov 
ered  with  rebel  troops,  and  crowned  with  flaming 
batteries. 

The  only  visible  means  of  crossing  the  creek  was 
upon  three  bridges,  one  on  our  right,  at  the  Hagers- 
town  road,  one  near  the  center,  and  the  Stone  bridge 
upon  our  left ;  and  on  the  day  before,  when  Lee  ar 
ranged  his  line  of  battle,  he  so  massed  his  infantry, 
and  planted  his  field-pieces  in  such  a  manner,  that 
he  considered  it  impossible  for  our  troops  to  carry 
them  by  assault.  The  rebel  officers  congratulated 
themselves  that  they  held  the  key  to  an  easy  and 
most  important  victory. 

Their  soldiers  were  highly  elated.  A  victory  for 
them  at  Antietam,  and  the  North  lay  defenseless  and 
hopeless  at  their  feet. 

The  battle  was  raging  desperately  on  our  right. 
Yesterday  afternoon,  when  Hooker  made  his  ad 
vance,  he  carried  the  upper  bridge  on  the  Hagers- 
town  road — a  most  important  advantage.  During 
the  night  his  men  slept  upon  their  arms  to  hold  the 
position,  and  in  the  night  the  commands  of  Sumner 
and  Mansfield  had  been  pushed  over  to  support  him. 

It  was  evident  from  our  point  of  observation  that 
Hooker  was  advancing ;  we  could  catch  glimpses  of 
moving  columns  and  waving  banners  through  the 
smoke  and  mists.  Two  batteries  of  union  guns, 
supported  by  strong  lines  of  infantry,  advanced  from 
the  woods,  where  for  a  brief  time  our  men  had  been 
concealed,  into  an  open  cornfield. 

The   rebels   evidently   did  not  see   the  infantry; 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAR.  33 

they  only  saw  the  much-coveted  guns,  and  upon 
them  they  charged  with  a  savage  yelL  The  guns 
were  prepared  to  receive  them.  Bursting  shells, 
grape  shot  and  canister,  with  fearful  precision, 
went  tearing  through  the  densely  massed  lines  of 
the  enemy. 

Our  infantry  joined  in  the  bloody  reception. 
Back  and  forth  the  lines  advanced  and  receded; 
first  one  and  then  the  other  was  victor.  We 
watched  with  suspended  breath.  We  had  never 
seen  war  before.  Whole  lines  melted  away  in  that 
terrible  carnage. 

For  a  full  hour  the  conflict  raged,  and  then  the 
rebel  lines  began  to  fall  back,  and  their  fire  to 
slacken.  A  cheer  of  triumph  arose  from  the  union 
victors. 

"Stonewall  Jackson"  has  found  his  match  in  des 
perate  daring  to-day.  Joe  Hooker's  tall,  erect  form 
on  his  gray  horse,  has  been  dashing  for  that  hour 
through  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  inspiring  his  men 
by  the  cool  and  reckless  exposure  of  his  own  person. 
General  Meade,  with  his  Pennsylvania  Reserves, 
was  then  ordered  to  follow  up  the  advantage  gained. 
They  charge  across  the  cornfield  plowed  with  burst 
ing  shells  and  made  slippery  with  blood,  to  reach 
the  woods  in  which  the  rebels  have  disappeared. 
We  looked.  Great  God,  what  a  reception!  The 
forest  seemed  to  yawn  and  vomit  forth  upon  them  a 
volcano  of  leaden  fire ;  it  checked  their  advance. 
They  endeavored  to  return  the  fire ;  they  reeled  and 
staggered  like  drunken  men  under  that  fearful  tem 
pest.  Brigades  were  reduced  to  regiments  in  a  mo- 
*2 


34  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR. 

ment's  time  ;  and  soon  the  small  remnant  of  that 
noble  division  retreated  back  across  the  cornfield  to 
the  woods  from  which  they  came.  The  enemy  had 
been  reinforced,  and  now  from  the  forest  once  more 
they  charge  to  follow  up  the  repulse  of  Meade. 

It  was  a  critical  moment :  unless  that  advance  is 
checked,  all  is  lost.  Hooker  sat  on  his  horse  amidst 
the  flying  lead,  as  the  broken  brigades  of  Meade 
were  hurled  past  him.  He  saw  the  coming  lines  of 
the  foe ;  there  was  no  time  to  lose. 

A  staff  officer  dashed  away  from  Hooker  to  Doub- 
leday,  with  the  command :  "  Send  me  your  best  bri 
gade  instantly,"  and  HartsufTs  brigade,  composed 
largely  of  Massachusetts  troops,  double-quicked 
through  the  woods,  out  into  the  cornfield,  past 
Hooker,  and  charged  upon  the  enemy.  We  saw  the 
wild,  reckless  manner  in  which  they  made  the  as 
sault.  They  struck  the  rebel  line  with  terrible  force, 
and  the  latter,  although  fivefold  the  stronger,  re 
coiled  before  the  shock. 

HartsuiFs  men  threw  themselves  flat  upon  the 
ground,  along  a  low  ridge  of  land,  and  opened  a  fire 
upon  the  staggering  lines  of  the  foe,  and  for  thirty 
minutes  the  conflict  raged.  Hartsuff  was  wounded ; 
his  men  have  exhausted  their  ammunition ;  no  rein 
forcements  have  arrived,  and  he  must  not  retreat. 

The  shattered  line  sprang  to  its  feet,  mantled  in 
sheets  of  flame,  and  again  charged  upon  the  enemy. 
Like  a  line  of  withering  fire  they  rolled  on.  The 
enemy  could  not  withstand  the  shock,  and  once  more 
fell  back  to  the  woods.  It  is  now  ten  o'clock.  The 
battle  has  been  raging  for  four  hours,  and  neither 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  85 

side  has  gained  any  decided  advantage.     The  car 
nage  on  both  sides  must  have  been  fearful. 

With  anxious  hearts  we  scanned  the  distant  field, 
for  we  knew  that  some  movement  would  soon  be 
made  by  blue  or  gray.  We  soon  saw  that  Haok- 
er's  entire  command  was  advancing.  It  was  a 
desperate  movement,  but  a  grand  spectacle  to  be 
hold.  Our  view  was  broken  by  clumps  of  trees  and 
distant  hill-tops,  but  at  many  points  we  could  see  the 
advance.  Regiments,  brigades,  divisions,  were  swing 
ing  and  wheeling  into  line,  and  all  at  a  double-quick ; 
banners  waved,  bayonets  gleamed,  officers  shouted, 
and  the  men  cheered.  Hooker  in  person  led  the 
charging  column.  The  hillsides  flamed  with  fire. 
There  was  a  fearful  roar,  and  all  were  concealed  by 
clouds  of  smoke.  The  hills  shook  as  if  with  agony 
and  fear.  Anxiously  we  asked  each  other :  "  What 
will  be  the  result?" 

"Joe  Hooker  is  wounded  and  carried  from  the 
field,"  we  heard  a  courier  exclaim  as  he  dashed  down 
the  road  near  where  we  were  standing.  The  enemy 
received  reinforcements  from  their  center ;  men  and 
officers  fell  thick  and  fast.  General  Sumner  assumed 
the  command  when  Hooker  was  wounded,  and 
bravely  rode  to  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  and  led  on 
the  advance.  Our  men  began  to  waver;  they  fell 
back  a  short  distance  and  halted,  and  once  more  the 
cornfield  was  in  the  possession  of  the  enemy. 

It  was  now  past  noon,  and  as  we  watched  the  fall 
ing  back  of  the  union  lines,  our  hearts  sank.  But 
our  artillery  fire  prevented  the  enemy  from  following 
our  men  a  great  distance.  Sumner's  command  must 


30  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

be  badly  shattered.  We  understood  enough  of  war 
to  know  that  those  broken  lines  could  not  without 
reinforcements  make  another  successful  charge  that 
day.  If  they  held  their  position  they  would  do  well. 
At  this  the  most  gloomy  hour  in  the  history  of  that 
battle,  we  saw  a  body  of  men  marching  down  the 
Hagerstown  road,  cross  the  bridge,  and  form  on  the 
left  of  Sumner's  command.  "  Reinforcements  !  "  we 
gladly  cried,  "and  it  must  be  General  Franklin's 
corps."  Closely  we  watched  the  developments.  We 
saw  a  brigade,  which  we  afterward  learned  was  Gen 
eral  Smith's,  and  which  was  composed  of  troops  from 
Maine  and  Vermont,  charge  and  once  more  retake 
the  cornfield,  and  they  halted  not  until  they  had 
swept  through  the  woods  beyond,  and  sent  the  rebels 
flying  back  in  wild  disorder. 

The  musketry  on  the  right  died  gradually  away, 
and  only  the  growling  of  artillery  was  heard.  But 
while  we  had  been  so  intently  watching  the  struggle 
on  our  right,  the  battle  had  been  raging  from  our 
center  to  the  left.  The  artillery  planted  along  the 
side  of  the  hill  upon  which  we  stood,  had  been  thun 
dering  at  the  rebels,  all  the  forenoon,  and  the  ground 
had  trembled  and  throbbed  under  the  fearful  roar. 

Down  upon  the  left,  General  Burnside  had  been 
doing  noble  work.  The  Ninth  corps  under  the  com 
mand  of  Burnside  had  slept  on  the  night  of  the  16th, 
upon  a  ridge  of  land  near  the  Stone  bridge.  And 
there  General  Lee  had  massed  his  troops  to  prevent 
our  crossing.  His  artillery  was  planted  upon  the 
ridge  that  stretched  along  the  western  bank  of  the 
An  tie  tarn  creek,  and  raked  the  bridge  from  every 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    WAR.  37 

point,  while  in  three  lines  of  rude  earth-works  built 
on  the  hillside  was  the  rebel  infantry.  At  nine 
o'clock  in  the  morning  Burnside  led  his  .men  to 
storm  the  bridge.  It  was  a  fearful  undertaking. 
Nowhere  in  the  campaigns  of  Napoleon  can  we  find 
raw  troops  making  a  more  brilliant  assault  than  was 
made  by  Burnside's  men  at  the  Stone  bridge.  A 
single  regiment  dashed  out  as  skirmishers,  a  brigade 
followed,  and  then  divisions.  They  reach  the  bridge ; 
five  hundred  bursting  shells  fall  among  their  closely 
massed  ranks ;  twenty  thousand  muskets  are  pour 
ing  their  leaden  rain  upon  the  assaulting  column. 
They  cross  the  bridge,  deployed  right  and  left;  a 
battle  line  is  formed.  They  dash  up  the  hill  and  are 
hurled  back.  Reinforcements  that  have  crossed  the 
creek  at  a  ford  below,  now  arrive  ;  they  charge  again ; 
back  and  forth  they  surge.  It  is  a  hand-to-hand 
conflict  with  the  advantages  all  on  the  side  of  the 
enemy.  The  first  line  of  works  is  carried  at  the 
point  of  the  bayonet.  There  is  another  struggle, 
and  a  terrific  yell  rolls  up  the  line,  to  tell  us  that 
our  men  have  won.  The  clouds  of  smoke  and  dust 
showed  clearly  that  Burnside  held  the  hill,  and  that 
the  rebels  were  falling  back. 

It  is  now  late  in  the  afternoon ;  whatever  is  done 
to-day  must  be  done  quickly.  The  losses  on  both 
sides  have  been  great.  The  enemy  having  had  the 
advantage  of  position,  our  losses  are  probably  the 
greater. 

Our  brigade  bugle  calls,  "fall  in,  fall  in" 
There  is  a  fearful  roar  of  musketry  on  the  right, 
where  all  has  been  so  quiet  for  an  hour.  Forward 


38  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAB. 

at  a  double-quick  we  move,  to  reinforce  the  right ; 
we  march  a  mile  or  two,  then  halt;  the  firing  has 
ceased,  and  the  emergency  has  passed.  As  we  halt, 
a  mournful  procession  passes  us,  bearing  the  remains 
of  brave  General  Mansfield,  who  has  just  been 
killed  at  the  front. 

In  a  few  moments  we  return  to  our  former  posi 
tion.  The  rebels  have  been  driven  back  on  both 
flanks,  and  are  forming  a  new  line  near  Sharpsburg. 
We  listened ;  the  battle  is  still  raging  on  our  left ; 
Burnside  is  evidently  advancing ;  those  terrible  vol 
leys  of  musketry,  the  ceaseless  din  of  artillery,  the 
clouds  of  smoky  dust,  were  rolling  back  toward 
Sharpsburg,  where  rested  the  rebel  center.  Burn- 
side  is  pushing  their  right  flank  back,  doubling  it 
upon  their  center.  If  that  movement  succeeds  the 
fate  of  the  rebel  army  is  sealed.  Great  interests  are 
at  stake,  and  with  breathless  interest  we  awaited 
the  result. 

Burnside's  men  are  exhausted ;  their  ranks  are 
sadly  thinned;  each  regiment  is  but  a  shattered 
wreck.  If  his  command  could  only  be  inspired 
with  reinforcements  !  A  cloud  of  dust  is  seen  roll 
ing  from  the  rebel  center  to  their  right.  Lee  has 
seen  his  danger,  and  A.  P.  Hill  is  hastening  down  to 
reinforce  Longstreet,  to  check  and  crush  Burnside. 
And  look,  up  the  dusty  highway,  his  horse  covered 
with  foam,  dashes  a  staff  officer  from  Burnside  to 
McClellan !  "  Burnside  says,  send  him  men  and 
guns,  and  he  will  sweep  all  before  him,  but  without 
reinforcements  he  cannot  hold  the  position  he  has 
gained."  Will  McClellan  grant  his  request?  Fif- 


KEMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  39 

teen  thousand  fresh  troops  are  in  the  valley  at  his 
feet,  each  man  impatient  for  a  part  in  the  day's 
work,  and  a  share  in  the  glory  of  victory. 

Fifteen  thousand  reinforcements  for  Burnside 
mean  the  overthrow  of  both  Longstreet  and  Hill. 
They  will  be  hurled  back  upon  the  center,  and  the 
rebel  army  will  be  enclosed  between  the  forces  of 
Burnside  and  Sumner.  The  fords  of  the  Potomac 
will  be  in  our  possession,  and  Antietam  will  be  the 
deathbed  of  the  Confederacy. 

O  for  one  hour  of  Grant,  or  dashing  Phil  Sheri 
dan  !  For  a  moment  McClellan  hesitates ;  he  is 
loyal,  but  too  timid  and  slow  for  a  great  commander. 
"  Tell  Burnside  to  hold  on;  it  is  the  greatest  battle 
of  the  war;  I  will  send  him  a  battery;  I  have  no 
infantry  to  send ;  if  he  is  driven  back,  he  must  hold 
the  bridge,  for  if  we  lose  that  we  lose  all." 

The  fatal  mistake  has  been  made.  Burnside  is 
overpowered,  and  slowly  relinquishes  the  ground  he 
has  gained ;  but  the  rebels  have  been  so  roughly 
handled  they  do  not  press  him  far.  They  halt,  the 
firing  ceases,  Burnside  holds  the  bridge,  and  dark 
ness  conceals  the  situation  from  our  view.  The 
enemy  are  beaten  at  every  point.  We  have  Porter's 
corps  of  troops,  who  have  not  been  in  the  battle  at 
all.  The  waters  of  the  Potomac  river  are  swollen  to 
a  flood  tide ;  the  fords  are  few  and  dangerous ;  they 
afford  General  Lee  his  only  avenue  of  escape.  It  is 
not  too  late  to  redeem  the  blunder  of  the  afternoon, 
but  no  advance  of  our  troops  was  ordered.  General 
Lee  understands  that  he  must  regain  by  his  own  cun 
ning  what  he  has  failed  to  gain  upon  the  field  of 


40  REMINISCENCES    OF   THE    WAR. 

battle,  and  the  defeated  general  proposes  an  armis 
tice  to  bury  his  dead,  and  to  the  mortification  and 
disgust  of  the  army,  it  was  granted.  And  under  this 
false  pretence,  Lee  re-crossed  the  river,  and  escaped, 
leaving  his  wounded  and  dead  to  be  cared  for  and 
buried  by  the  victors  before  whom  he  was  fleeing. 

The  men  in  the  ranks  were  all  indignant  that  the 
substantial  fruits  of  their  dearly  bought  victory 
should  thus  slip  through  their  fingers,  through  the 
stupidity  of  their  dearly  beloved  commanding  offi 
cer. 

Many  opinions  have  been  given  as  to  General 
McClellan's  conduct  at  Antietam,  and  many  serious 
charges  have  been  made  against  him,  but  I  think 
the  surviving  members  of  the  rank  and  file  of  the  old 
army  of  the  Potomac  will  with  me  agree  that  he  was 
a  loyal,  brave,  skillful  officer,  that  as  an  engineer  he 
has  no  superiors,  but  he  was  sadly  lacking  in  the 
elements  of  energy,  decision  and  reckless  courage 
that  qualifies  a  man  to  command  armies  in  an  active 
campaign.  But  notwithstanding  the  escape  of  the 
rebel  army,  the  victory  at  Antietam  was  of  vast  im 
portance.  It  prevented  an  invasion  of  the  North, 
and  rolled  the  tide  of  war  back  upon  the  soil  of 
Virginia. 

On  the  19th  of  September,  two  days  after  this 
battle  was  fought,  there  was  great  excitement  in 
our  regiment,  as  we  were  ordered  to  cross  the  Poto 
mac,  and  follow  up  the  retreat  of  General  Lee. 
This  was  to  be  a  new  experience  to  us.  Up  to  this 
time  we  had  not  been  in  the  advance.  We  had  seen 
our  comrades  fight  and  go  down  in  the  smoke  of 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR.  41 

battle,  but  now  we  were  to  experience  that  which 
hitherto  we  had  only  seen. 

The  regiment  quickly  obeyed  the  order  to  "fall 
in."  Then  the  command  "by  the  right  flank, 
march,"  was  given,  and  away  we  went.  We  soon 
reached  the  Potomac  river,  and  crossed  at  the  Shep- 
herdstown  fords.  The  river  was  wide,  the  water 
deep,  the  current  swift,  and  the  ledges  upon  which 
we  walked  were  so  narrow  that  our  crossing  was 
necessarily  very  slow  ;  but  we  finally  reached  the 
Virginia  shore. 

Not  a  gun  had  been  fired,  and  not  .an  enemy  had 
been  seen.  Our  regimental  line  was  formed  upon 
the  bank  of  the  river,  and  we  began  to  climb  the 
steep  bluff  that  rose  some  two  hundred  feet  above 
the  water.  Before  the  ascent  was  completed,  we 
heard  heavy  firing  up  the  river  on  our  right,  show 
ing  that  those  who  crossed  the  river  above  us  had 
encountered  the  enemy.  With  a  desperate  resolu 
tion  to  crush  the  rebellion,  we  scrambled  to  the  top, 
and  our  line  was  quickly  formed  upon  its  crest.  A 
dense  forest  was  in  our  immediate  front,  the  firing 
on  our  right  had  increased,  and  the  roar  of  regular 
volleys  of  musketry  came  rolling  down  the  river. 

Gray  forms  were  seen  flitting  among  the  trees  be 
fore  us,  puffs  of  white  smoke  suddenly  burst  out 
from  the  forest,  and  the  uncomfortable  "  zip,  zip  "  of 
leaden  messengers  over  our  heads  warned  us  that 
the  enemy  meant  business.  We  returned  the  fire, 
and  sent  our  first  greetings  to  the  Southern  Confed 
eracy,  in  the  form  of  miuie  bullets,  that  went  sing 
ing  and  cracking  through  the-  forest  in  our  front; 


42  BEMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAB. 

and  we  made  a  target  of  every  gray  form  we  could 
see. 

Our  regiment  was  about  to  make  a  charge  upon 
them,  when  the  order  came  for  us  to  get  down  over 
the  bluff,  and  recross  the  river  as  rapidly  as  possible, 
and  down  through  the  rocks  and  trees  we  ran.  We 
reached  the  river,  and  began  to  make  a  most  masterly 
advance  upon  Maryland.  The  enemy  followed  us 
to  the  top  of  the  bluff,  and  would  have  punished  us 
severely  as  we  were  recrossing  the  river,  but  one  of 
our  batteries  went  into  position  on  the  Maryland 
side,  threw  shells  over  our  heads,  and  drove  the 
rebels  back.  Several  of  the  regiments  on  our  right 
had  sustained  great  losses ;  one  of  them,  the  118th 
Pennsylvania,  had  been  almost  annihilated.  Upon 
reaching  the  Maryland  shore,  we  took  possession  of 
the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  canal,  and  there  formed 
the  advanced  line  of  the  army. 

One  very  amusing  incident  occurred  in  our  retreat. 
In  Company  H  was  a  man  by  the  name  of  Tommy 
Welch,  an  Irishman  about  forty  years  ^of  age,  a 
brave,  generous-hearted  fellow.  He  was  an  old 
bachelor,  and  one  of  those*  funny,  neat,  particular 
men  we  occasionally  meet.  He  always  looked  as  if 
he  had  emerged  from  a  bandbox ;  and  the  boys  used 
to  say  that  he  would  rather  sacrifice  the  whole  army 
of  the  Potomac,  than  to  have  a  spot  of  rust  upon  his 
rifle,  or  dust  upon  his  uniform.  He  was  always 
making  the  most  laughable  blunders,  and  was  usually 
behind  all  others  in  obeying  any  command.  When 
our  regiment  went  tumbling  down  over  the  side  of 
the  bluff,  to  reach  the  river,  the  men  all  got  down 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  43 

before  Tommy  understood  what  they  were  doing. 
Then  very  slowly  he  descended,  picking  his  path 
carefully  among  the  trees  and  rocks,  and  did  not 
reach  the  river  until  the  rear  of  the  regiment  was 
nearly  one-half  of  the  way  across.  The  officer  who 
commanded  our  regiment  on  that  day  rode  a  mag 
nificent  horse,  and  as  the  regiment  recrossed,  he  sat 
coolly  upon  his  horse  near  the  Virginia  shore,  amidst 
the  shots  of  the  enemy,  speaking  very  pleasantly  to 
the  men  as  they  passed  him.  He  evidently  deter 
mined  to  be  the  last  man  of  the  regiment  to  leave 
the  post  of  danger.  He  saw  Uncle  Tommy,  and 
although  the  danger  was  very  great,  he  kindly 
waited  for  him  to  cross.  When  the  latter  reached 
the  water,  with  great  deliberation  he  sat  down  upon 
a  rock,  and  removed  his  shoes  and  stockings,  and 
slowly  packed  them  away  in  his  blanket.  Then  his 
pant  legs  must  be  rolled  up,  so  that  they  would  not 
come  in  contact  with  the  water;  and  all  the  time 
the  rebels  were  coming  nearer,  and  the  bullets  were 
flying  more  thickly.  At  last  he  was  ready  for  an 
advance  movement,  but  just  as  he  reached  the  water, 
the  luckless  pant  legs  slipped  down  over  his  knees, 
and  he  very  quietly  retraced  his  steps  to  the  shore,  to 
roll  them  up  again.  This  was  too  much  for  even  the 
courtesy  of  the  commanding  officer,  who  becoming 
impatient  at  the  protracted  delay,  and  not  relishing 
the  sound  of  the  lead  whistling  over  his  head,  cried 
out  in  a  sharp  voice:  "  Come,  come,  my  man, 
hurry  up,  hurry  up,  or  we  will  both  be  shot." 
Tommy  looked  up  with  that  bewildered,  serio-comic 
gravity  of  expression  for  which  the  Emerald  Isle  is 


44  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR. 

so  noted,  and  answered  in  the  broadest  brogue  : 
"  The  divil  a  bit,  sur.  It  is  no  mark  of  a  gintleman 
to  be  in  a  hurry."  The  officer  waited  no  longer,  but 
putting  spurs  to  his  horse,  he  dashed  across  the  river, 
while  Tommy,  carrying  his  rifle  in  one  hand,  and 
holding  up  his  pant  legs  in  the  other,  followed  after, 
the  bullets  flying  thickly  around  him. 

Poor  Tommy  Welch,  brave,  blundering  and  kind, 
was  a  favorite  in  his  company,  and  his  comrades 
all  mourned  when  he  was  shot  down  in  the  wilder 
ness.  He  was  there  taken  prisoner,  and  carried  to 
Andersonville  prison,  where  he  died  of  starvation. 

On  forming  our  line  at  the  canal,  we  soon  found 
that  we  were  in  an  uncomfortable  position.  The 
rebels  were  concealed  on  the  side  of  the  bluff,  across 
the  river,  by  trees  and  underbrush,  so  that  we  could 
not  see  them,  but  the  moment  that  one  of  our  men 
would  step  from  the  muddy  canal  to  the  bank,  the 
air  around  him  would  be  filled  with  bullets.  Quite 
a  number  of  our  men  were  thus  wounded.  We 
soon  learned  to  watch  for  the  white  puff  of  smoke, 
and  the  moment  it  was  detected,  we  would  send  a 
hundred  bullets  at  it.  Thus  through  the  day  and 
night  that  followed  our  retreat,  a  constant  picket 
firing  was  kept  up. 

On  the  second  day  the  rebels  seemed  to  grow 
weary  of  this,  and  almost  ceased  firing;  but  there 
was  another  and  more  dangerous  annoyance.  Down 
by  the  side  of  the  river  were  the  brick  walls  of  an 
old  mill,  and  in  the  night  a  company  of  rebel  sharp 
shooters  took  possession  of  it,  and  if  a  soldier 
made  his  appearance  anywhere  on  the  Maryland 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    WAR.  45 

shore,  within  range  of  their  famous  rifles,  there 
would  instantly  be  seen  the  little  cloud  of  smoke, 
and  the  peculiar  singing  sound  of  the  bullet  would 
be  heard,  and  the  victim,  unconscious  of  danger, 
would  fall.  We  peppered  away  at  the  walls  with 
our  rifles,  but  of  course  with  no  effect. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  second  day  a  battery  of 
artillery  galloped  down  near  where  we  were  sta 
tioned.  The  bullets  flew  thick  and  fast  from  the 
brick  walls.  Men  and  horses  fell.  The  guns  were 
quickly  unlimbered,  and  returned  the  compliment 
with  twelve-pound  shells.  Whiz — bang — CRASH, 
they  went  into  the  old  mill ;  the  air  was  filled  with 
pieces  of  bricks  and  mortar ;  whole  sections  of  the 
walls  went  tumbling  down  ;  a  thousand  rifles  opened 
upon  the  ruins,  and  the  rebel  sharpshooters,  or  the 
few  who  survived,  made  a  dash  from  the  ruins, 
amidst  the  wild  cheering  of  our  men,  up  over  the 
steep  bluff,  and  troubled  us  no  more. 

One  of  the  most  difficult  things  in  the  world  for  a 
genuine  Yankee  to  do,  was  to  settle  down,  and  be 
come  accustomed  to  the  experience  of  a  soldier's 
life.  He  was  naturally  inquisitive,  and  wanted  to 
know  all  the  reasons  why  an  order  was  given,  before 
he  could  obey  it.  Accustomed  to  be  independent, 
the  words  go  and  come  grated  harshly  upon  his  ear. 
At  home  he  had  considered  himself  as  good  as  any 
other  person,  and  in  the  army  he  failed  to  under 
stand  why  a  couple  of  gilt  straps  upon  the  shoulders 
of  one  who  at  home  was  far  beneath  him,  should 
there  make  him  so  much  his  superior. 

The  Yankee  is  usually  a  practical  sort  of  a  man, 


46  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

and  in  all  his  work  shows  a  great  deal  of  good  com 
mon  sense,  and  when,  in  his  loyal  love  for  the  old 
flag,  he  went  South  to  help  crush  the  rebellion,  he 
expected  to  use  the  same  practical  common  sense 
that  he  had  used  at  home,  to  fight  the  rebels  in  as 
practical  a  manner  as  he  had  planted  potatoes  or 
felled  the  forest  trees,  and  consequently  all  the  red 
tape  of  army  life  was  very  distasteful  to  him.  He 
could  not  understand  how  dress  parades,  guard 
mounting,  reviews  and  grand  rounds  could  ever 
crush  the  rebellion,  and  they  were  all  regarded  in 
supreme  contempt. 

While  we  were  in  the  front  line  at  the  Potomac 
river,  our  picket  line  was  extended  for  a  considera 
ble  distance  along  its  banks.  The  ground  was  in 
many  places  very  rough,  and  after  dark  it  was  diffi 
cult  to  find  the  posts  upon  which  some  of  the  men 
were  stationed. 

One  dark  and  stormy  night,  a  member  of  our  regi 
ment  was  placed  upon  one  of  these  posts.  His  relief 
was  to  stand  from  eleven  to  one  o'clock,  but  in  the 
darkness  and  storm,  the  corporal  in  charge  of  the 
next  relief  failed  to  find  him,  and  consequently  he 
was  not  relieved. 

The  moments  passed  slowly.  He  knew  that  some 
thing  was  wrong,  but  disdaining  to  call  the  corporal, 
an  officer  for  whose  rank  he  had  a  great  contempt, 
he  stood  and  growled,  and  stamped  his  feet  in  the 
cold  storm,  and  as  he  reviewed  all  these  petty  an 
noyances  that  I  have  named,  his  anger  was  kindled 
to  a  greater  degree. 

At  last  he  heard  the  tramp  of  men  and  horses  ap- 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  47 

preaching  him.  As  they  came  down  the  line,  with 
a  stentorian  voice  he  yelled — "  Who  comes  there?" 
and  the  mincing  voice  of  a  newly-fledged  colonel 
commanding  a  New  York  regiment,  who  was  that 
day  in  charge  of  the  picket  line,  was — "  The  grand 
rounds,  sir." 

Imagine  his  surprise  when  the  exasperated  son  of 
IVJaine  yelled  back  in  reply — "To  h-11  with  your 
grand  rounds.  I  want  the  corporal  of  the  second 
relief."  Perhaps  under  the  great  provocation  the 
profanity  was  excusable. 

During  the  five  weeks  of  inactivity  in  the  army 
of  the  Potomac  that  followed  the  battle  of  Antietam, 
one  of  the  most  disastrous  features  of  the  gloomy 
situation  was  the  terrible  sickness  of  the  soldiers, 
and  this  was  especially  true  in  the  new  regiments. 
The  men  were  unused  to  the  climate,  the  exposure, 
and  the  food,  so  that  the  whole  experience  was  in 
direct  contrast  to  their  life  at  home.  Many  were  sick 
and  discouraged;  strong  men  grew  weak  with  dis 
ease  ;  no  sanitary  measures  were  enforced  in  camp ; 
the  buildings  used  as  hospitals  were  but  illy  adapted 
to  such  a  purpose,  being  very  imperfect  in  ventila 
tion,  cleanliness,  and  general  convenience.  It  was  a 
sad  spectacle  to  walk  through  the  hospitals,  and  see 
the  helpless  men.  Our  regiment  was  encamped  near 
the  old  "  Antietam  Iron  Works."  The  weather 
became  very  cold,  and  the  bleak,  penetrating  winds 
swept  with  terrible  force  down  the  hillsides  and 
through  the  valleys  of  Maryland.  We  had  no  tents, 
and  for  a  number  of  weeks  were  without  overcoats. 
With  shivering  bodies  and  chattering  teeth  we  used 


48  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

to  sit  around  the  camp-fires,  along  the  picket  lines, 
and  endeavored  to  make  ourselves  believe  that  a  sol 
dier's  life  was  a  very  pleasant  one.  One  of  the  most 
painful  duties  that  we  performed  was  to  visit  the 
hospitals,  and  care  for  our  sick  comrades — men  who 
had  left  their  homes  but  a  few  weeks  before,  strong, 
robust,  hearty  and  hopeful,  now  weak,  sick,  hopeless 
and  dying.  The  strong  men  of  middle  age,  from 
whom  so  much  was  expected,  were  the  first  to  yield, 
while  the  mere  boys,  of  whom  no  account  had  been 
made,  seemed  to  more  easily  adapt  themselves  to  the 
situation. 

It  was  a  sad  mission,  to  sit  by  the  dying  in  the 
midst  of  all  the  dirt  and  disorder  with  which  they 
were  surrounded,  to  gather  up  little  trinkets  to 
send  as  priceless  keepsakes  to  distant  friends,  to 
write  the  last  good-byes  and  messages  of  love  whis 
pered  from  dying  lips,  and  to  hold  their  thin,  hollow 
hands  as  the  spirit  floated  away  from  its  earthen 
casket.  Then  would  follow  the  soldiers'  burial,  the 
corporal's  guard  with  reversed  arms  keeping  step  to 
the  mournful  beat  of  the  muffled  drum.  That  was 
a  hard,  Hitter  experience;  and  the  surviving  mem 
bers  of  our  regiment  have  not  forgotten  the  hill 
sides  of  Maryland,  where  we  laid  the  bodies  of  the 
first  victims  that  death  called  from  our  ranks. 

It  has  been  urged  as  a  defense  for  this  delay  on 
the  part  of  General  McClellan,  that  he  disliked  to 
sacrifice  his  men,  and  that  a  special  regard  for  their 
welfare  caused  him  to  move  so  slowly.  If  this  be 
true,  it  was  a  mistaken  policy,  for  experience 
taught  us  that  lead  was  a  much  less  cruel  butcher 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE   WAR.  49 

than  disease,  and  that  if  soldiers  must  die  to  pre 
serve  the  government,  they  prefer  to  die  upon  the 
battle-field.  There  is  some  inspiration  to  die  in  the 
shock  of  conflict,  amidst  the  crash  of  contending 
hosts,  to  pass  away  in  a  whirlwind  of  fire ;  but  there 
is  no  satisfaction  in  struggling  with  disease,  and  to 
grow  weak  and  shadowy  under  its  touch,  and  to 
know  from  the  beginning  that  death  is  the  only  re- 
Ifef.  It  is  a  sad  comment  upon  this  hesitating  pol 
icy,  that  when  our  regiment  marched  from  that 
camping  ground,  and  advanced  into  Virginia,  three 
hundred  of  our  members  were  sent  to  the  hospitals 
as  invalids,  many  of  whom  never  saw  the  regiment 
again. 


CHAPTER  III. 
FROM   ANTIETAM  TO   FREDEKICKSBURGH. 

ON  the  30th  of  October  we  marched  from  Antie- 
tam,  in  the  direction  of  Harper's  Ferry,  and  on  the 
following  day  we  crossed  the  Potomac  river,  passed 
through  the  village  named  above,  and  then  crossed 
the  Shenandoah  river.  There  was  much  around 
Harper's  Ferry  to  interest  us.  The  scenery  is  among 
the  most  magnificent  on  the  continent.  The  two 
great  rivers  here  break  in  resistless  force  through  the 
Blue  Ridge,  while  the  mountain  looks  down  upon  the 
rushing  waters,  from  its  bold  bluffs,  which  rise  per 
pendicularly  hundreds  of  feet  in  the  air.  Thomas 
Jefferson  declared  that  the  passage  of  the  Potomac 
through  the  Blue  Ridge  was  one  of  the  most  stupen 
dous  scenes  in  nature,  and  well  worth  a  voyage 
across  the  Atlantic  to  witness. 

We  saw  the  ruins  of  the  old  United  States  Arse 
nal,  and  remembered  that  it  was  this  arsenal  that 
John  Brown  had  seized  when  he  made  his  raid  into 
Virginia  in  October,  1859. 

In  the  first  years  of  the  civil  war  the  village  often 
changed  hands,  as  the  armies  advanced  and  retreated, 
and  now  it  looked  poor  and  dilapidated.  A  great 
pile  of  gun  barrels  burned,  bent  and  twisted,  told 
where  the  arsenal  had  formerly  stood. 

Our  line  of  march  was  around  the  base  of  Louden 


BEMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  51 

Heights,  and  through  the  valley  of  the  same  name. 
While  we  were  marching  along  this  valley,  the  enemy 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Blue  Ridge  was  marching  in 
the  same  direction  through  the  Shenandoah  valley. 

Louden  valley  is  one  of  the  most  fertile  sections 
of  Virginia,  and  in  1862  it  had  not  been  desolated 
with  war,  as  many  other  sections  of  the  state  had 
been;  and  the  boys  will  all  remember  that  there 
was  grand  foraging  on  that  march.  Cattle,  sheep, 
pigs,  and  all  kinds  of  vegetables,  were  plenty,  and 
we  made  many  requisitions  upon  the  "Secesh"  plan 
tations  as  we  passed  them. 

Foraging  soon  becomes  a  science  in  the  soldiers' 
life.  We  had  just  entered  the  army,  and  did  not  un 
derstand  it  as  well  as  did  those  who  had  been  longer 
in  the  service,  but  we  applied  ourselves  closely  to 
the  work,  and  soon  became  quite  expert.  We  must 
always  remember  that  customs  in  the  army  vary 
from  those  in  civil  life,  and  things  which  in  the  lat 
ter  would  not  be  tolerated  for  a  moment,  would  be 
commendable  in  the  former.  Many  laughable  inci 
dents  occurred,  which,  if  written,  would  fill  volumes. 
While  marching  through  Louden  valley,  our  regi 
ment  encamped  one  night  at  a  small  village  called 
"  Snickersville,"  and  the  following  day  we  remained 
in  camp.  A  small  squad  of  us  sallied  forth  in  the 
afternoon,  without  permission,  "  to  seek  whom  we 
might  devour." 

Some  few  miles  from  camp,  in  an  out-building  on  a 
large  plantation,  we  found  a  very  large  hive  of  bees 
which  appeared  to  be  well  filled  with  honey.  Now 
honey  and  hard  tack  together  make  a  most  desirable 


52  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR. 

diet,  and  we  knew  that  we  had  found  a  prize  ;  but,  as 
I  have  already  intimated,  foraging  was  new  business 
to  us,  and  we  were  a  little  timid,  and  consequently 
concluded  that  the  better  way  for  us  to  pursue, 
was  to  return  to  camp,  and  then  come  out  after  dark 
and  secure  it.  We  returned  to  camp  highly  elated 
at  the  prospect  of  securing  the  coveted  prize.  Of 
course  our  comrades  were  'to  know  nothing  about  it. 
We  held  a  small  council  of  war,  and  arranged  our 
plans.  Late  in  the  evening  we  passed  through  the 
guard  unnoticed  by  the  sentinels,  and  quickly 
tramped  over  fences  and  across  fields  until  we 
reached  the  plantation,  and  to  our  joy  found  the 
hive  of  honey  as  we  had  left  it  in  the  afternoon.  It 
was  a  huge,  old-fashioned  affair,  some  four  feet  in 
height,  by  two  and  a  half  square.  It  was  so  heavy 
that  it  required  our  united  strength  to  carry  it.  We 
soon  found  that  "the  way  of  the  transgressor  is 
hard."  We  had  just  passed  from  the  building  to 
the  open  yard,  when  a  smothered  exclamation  from 
Joe,  which  was  half  way  between  an  oath  and  a  yell, 
attracted  our  attention;  we  hurriedly  dropped  the 
hive,  and  Joe  began  to  make  the  most  lively  antics 
around  the  yard.  We  soon  learned  the  cause  ;  there 
was  a  small  opening  in  the  side  of  the  hive,  through 
which  the  bees  had  been  accustomed  to  pass  in  and 
out.  Joe  had,  unfortunately,  placed  his  hand  near 
this  opening,  the  occupants  of  the  hive  had  been 
aroused  by  their  removal,  and  a  large  cluster  of 
them  had  passed  up  under  his  sleeve,  and  intrenched 
themselves  upon  his  arm.  It  was  the  first  wound 
that  he  had  received  in  the  war  of  the  rebellion. 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  53 

"  Confound  them !  "  muttered  Joe,  "  I  will  fix  them," 
and  taking  off  his  overcoat,  a  new  one  that  he  had 
just  drawn,  he  proceeded  to  wrap  it  around  the  hive 
in  such  a  manner  that  the  opening  was  covered. 
We  then  lifted  our  burden  and  tugged  away.  We 
passed  out  beyond  the  barn,  and  reached  a  narrow 
lane  inclosed  on  either  side  by  a  very  high  fence, 
when  to  our  horror  we  heard  a  party  of  men  ap 
proaching.  "Here  they  are,"  cried  one,  leaping 
upon  the  fence.  "  Surrender,  surrender"  cried  the 
new  comers.  "  The  provost  guard,"  we  all  exclaimed 
together.  Now  if  there  is  a  thing  in  the  world  that 
a  new  soldier  is  afraid  of,  it  is  the  provost  guard. 
Guns  rattled,  we  dropped  the  hive,  overcoat  and  all, 
and  sprang  over  the  high  fence  and  ran ;  our  pur 
suers  crying  out  that  if  we  did  not  stop  they  would 
fire.  At  a  break-neck  rate  we  went  across  the 
broad  field;  a  deep,  wide  ditch  was  in  our  way; 
with  a  most  desperate  leap  we  cleared  this  obstacle, 
and  rushed  on  to  our  camp.  When  we  arrived  there 
we  lay  down  together  to  talk  over  our  narrow  es 
cape.  We  were  highly  elated  to  think  that  we  had 
eluded  the  grasp  of  the  much  dreaded  "provost 
guard." 

If  we  had  made  a  charge  upon  the  enemy,  and 
covered  ourselves  with  honor,  we  would  not  have 
felt  better  than  at  that  time.  We  were  so  much  ex 
cited  that  we  could  not  sleep.  In  about  an  hour  we 
heard  a  commotion  in  the  street  of  the  adjoining 
company.  Some  men  seemed  to  be  carrying  a  heavy 
burden,  while  others  were  convulsed  with  laughter, 
which  they  were  endeavoring  vainly  to  suppress. 


54  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

We  listened ;  they  were  talking.  Their  whole  com 
pany  seemed  to  be  gathered  around  them.  As  we 
listened  we  became  disgusted.  They  had  got  our 
honey.  They  had  overheard  us  in  the  afternoon  as 
we  made  our  plans.  A  squad  of  them  had  followed 
to  make  us  believe  they  were  the  provost  guard, 
and  they  had  succeeded.  We  endeavored  to  induce 
Joe  to  ask  them  about  his  coat,  but  he  declared  that 
he  would  freeze  to  death  like  a  man  before  he  would 
take  such  a  step. 

The  affair  soon  leaked  out,  and  for  six  months,  if 
any  of  the  boys  wished  to  silence  either  of  us,  they 
only  had  to  speak  the  one  word  "honey." 

November  9th,  we  reached  Warrenton,  where  we 
encamped  until  the  17th.  While  here,  General 
McClellan  was  relieved  of  his  command,  and  bade 
farewell  to  the  army,  and  General  Burnside  assumed 
its  command.  The  old  army  of  the  Potomac  was 
once  more  on  the  advance.  We  were  marching  from 
Warrenton  toward  the  city  of  Fredericksburgh, 
where  the  army  of  General  Lee  was  awaiting  us.  It 
had  been  a  long,  weary  march.  The  mud  was  thick 
and  deep.  We  halted  in  a  large  field  on  a  hillside, 
just  as  the  sun  was  sinking  from  view  at  the  close  of 
a  November's  day.  The  little  shelter  tent  was  soon 
spread  over  its  frame  work  of  small  poles,  and  the 
work  for  the  night  was  quickly  divided  among  our 
tent's  company  of  three.  William  was  to  get  the 
water,  Charley  was  to  act  as  cook,  and  I  was  to  se 
cure  rails  for  firewood. 

It  was  not  an  extensive  "  bill  of  fare  "  in  those 
days — coffee,  hard  tack  and  salt  pork.  The  supper 


KEMISTISCENCES    OF   THE   WAB.  55 

was  eaten  with  a  keen  relish.  I  arose  to  my  feet, 
but  to  my  surprise  everything  around  me  seemed  to 
be  changing  its  position;  my  head  whirled,  and  I 
fell  to  the  ground.  Then  for  a  time  all  was  indis 
tinct.  The  surgeons  were  summoned,  and  decided 
that  it  was  an  attack  of  typhoid  fever. 

In  the  evening  it  began  to  rain  in  torrents,  and 
for  thirty-six  hours  the  army  did  not  move. 

I  can  indistinctly  remember  how  the  rain  poured 
upon  the  thin  cotton  above  my  face,  and  how  the 
tiny  streams  of  water  were  running  upon  the  ground 
on  which  I  was  lying.  William  and  Charley  ex 
posed  themselves  to  that  fearful  storm  to  protect  me. 
With  their  bayonets  they  digged  trenches  around 
the  tent,  to  prevent  the  water  from  pouring  in ;  they 
piled  their  blankets  and  overcoats  upon  me  to  keep 
me  warm  and  dry ;  they  carried  wood  from  a  great 
distance,  through  the  darkness,  and  kept  a  great 
fire  burning  at  the  tent  door. 

Kind,  noble-hearted  fellows  !  As  I  look  back  over 
the  nineteen  years  that  have  passed,  and  recall  those 
incidents,  I  find  that  time  and  changing  circum 
stances  have  not  changed  or  chilled  my  gratitude  to 
them  for  their  kindness  in  that  season  of  suffering. 
It  was  at  an  early  hour  in  the  morning  I  was  awak 
ened  from  a  troubled  sleep.  The  rain  had  ceased  to 
fall,  but  the  air  was  chilly  and  damp.  Great  masses 
of  black  clouds  obscured  the  skies ;  the  ground  was 
soaked  with  the  vast  quantities  of  water  that  had 
fallen.  Charley  was  speaking  to  me,  "  Come,  my 
boy,  we  are  to  march  in  a  few  moments.  The  sur 
geon  says  there  is  no  room  for  you  in  the  ambulance, 


56  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR. 

but  if  William  and  I  can  get  you  down  there,  I  will 
find  you  a  place,  or  I  will  know  the  reason  why." 

Sick,  weak,  and  half  delirious,  they  bore  me  to 
where  the  ambulances  were  standing,  near  the  regi 
mental  headquarters.  They  were  all  loaded,  with 
one  exception,  and  in  this  they  quickly  placed  me 
with  my  blankets  and  baggage.  Just  at  this  mo 
ment  a  surgeon  emerged  from  one  of  the  tents,  and 
approached  the  ambulances,  and  something  like  the 
following  dialogue  took  place :  Charley,  with  a  mil 
itary  salute  and  much  politeness,  remarked :  "  Sur 
geon,  that  sick  man  in  Company  H  is  unable  to 
march ;  if  we  leave  him  on  the  ground  he  will  die, 
and  I  have  put  him  in  that  ambulance."  With  a 
fearful  oath  the  surgeon  answered :  "  Sergeant,  that 
ambulance  is  reserved  for  the  use  of  the  officers  if 
they  should  need  it.  So  pull  your  man  out,  and  if 
he  is  too  cowardly  to  march  to  the  front,  let  him  die 
like  a  d — d  dog  on  the  ground."  With  a  voice  per 
fectly  cool,  and  yet  as  keen  as  a  scimiter,  Charley 
replied  :  "  You  are  mistaken  in  the  man,  sir ;  he  has 
always  done  his  duty ;  he  is  now  very  sick ;  if  he  is 
taken  from  that  ambulance,  you  will  do  it,  and  if  it 
is  done,  I  will  report  it  to  every  officer  in  the  regi 
ment,  and  will  publish  the  facts  in  every  newspaper 
in  the  state  of  Maine." 

I  trembled  as  I  thought  what  the  results  of  the 
controversy  might  be  to  Charley.  I  knew  him  well ; 
he  had  seen  much  of  the  world.  As  a  sailor,  he  had 
frequently  weathered  Cape  Horn,  and  four  years  of 
his  life  had  been  passed  in  a  whaling  voyage,  amid 
the  icebergs  of  the  northern  seas.  He  was  a  kind- 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR.  5T 

hearted,  Christian  gentleman,  yet  as  immovable  as 
the  hills  of  his  native  Vermont.  The  surgeon  evi 
dently  saw  that  he  had  caught  a  Tartar,  and  with  a 
volley  of  oaths  turned  on  his  heel  and  walked  away. 
Another  sick  man  was  placed  in  the  other  com 
partment  of  the  ambulance,  and  we  moved  forward. 
I  wish  I  could  describe  that  journey.  The  day 
was  cold  and  raw ;  the  rain  came  pouring  down  at 
intervals ;  the  roads  were  rough  and  muddy.  Our 
ambulance  formed  a  part  of  the  long  line  of  ambu 
lances,  baggage  wagons  and  artillery  filling  the 
roads  for  many  miles.  At  times  we  moved  very 
slowly ;  perhaps  for  an  hour  we  would  not  move  at 
all ;  then  the  train  in  front  would  close  up  rapidly, 
and  for  a  mile  or  more  our  horses  would  gallop  over 
the  rough  road.  The  space  that  I  occupied  in  the 
carriage  was  about  two  feet  in  width  by  six  in  length. 
Lying  upon  my  back,  with  my  head  toward  the 
horses,  a  thin,  low  partition  separated  me  from  my 
sick  companion,  whose  groans  of  pain  sounded 
hoarse  and  hollow.  I  was  burning  up  with  a  fearful 
heat,  and  I  was  so  tired.  At  times  I  would  dis 
tinctly  understand  my  situation,  and  could  hear  my 
driver  as  he  talked  to  his  horses,  or  sang  songs ;  one 
of  which  was  then  very  popular  with  the  old  soldiers 
who  had  fought  on  the  peninsula.  I  remember  the 
refrain,  it  ran  something  like  this  : — 
"  McClellan  leads  the  van, 

McClellan  leads  the  van; 

We  will  show  our  deeds 

Where'er  he  leads; 

McClellan  leads  the  van;" 

then    all  would  become  blank ;    dark,  weird  forms 
3* 


58  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR. 

would  flit  around  me ;  I  would  see  green  hills,  great 
forests,  crystal  streams  of  water,  and  familiar  faces ; 
then  there  would  be  rushing  columns  of  soldiers, 
and  scenes  of  carnage  and  death.  Slowly  the  hours 
passed  away;  night  came  and  went;  another  day 
and  night  slowly  followed,  and  the  third  day  had 
measured  more  than  one-half  its  length  before  the 
ride  was  completed. 

It  was  my  first  night  in  the  ambulance.  The 
train  had  been  slowly  toiling  along  in  a  narrow, 
muddy  road  that  wound  its  tortuous  way  through  a 
dense  forest.  It  finally  came  to  a  dead  halt.  My 
driver,  whom  I  had  learned  by  his  language  to  be  a 
coarse,  rough  fellow,  was  growling  because  the  train 
did  not  move  on.  An  officer  who  had  charge  of  the 
train,  came  riding  back,  and  accosted  the  driver 
with,  "  Well  Sam,  unhook  your  horses,  we  are  to 
stop  here  for  the  night."  "  Stop  here,"  answered 
the  astonished  Sam,  "  what  shall  we  do  with  the 
sick  fellers  ?  I  reckon  they're  pretty  well  gone  for  it, 
by  the  way  they  have  groaned  and  raved  all  day." 

"That  is  none  of  my  business,"  gruffly  replied 
the  officer.  "  All  I  have  to  do  is  to  haul  them  as 
long  as  they  are  alive ;  the  more  that  die  the  fewer 
we  shall  have  to  haul,"  and  with  a  coarse  laugh  he 
rode  on. 

"  Perhaps  it  don't  matter,"  I  heard  Sam  mutter 
as  he  hitched  his  horses  close  by  the  side  of  the  car 
riage,  "  but  I  swear  I  do  like  to  see  men  a  little  hu 
man  like.  I  pity  these  poor  cusses  groaning  and 
talking  about  home ;  rough  fare  is  good  enough  for 
a  fellow  when  he  is  tough  and  strong,  but  when  he 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  59 

wilts  he  wants  something  tender  like.  The  Lord 
only  knows  what  is  to  become  of  us  all,  before  we 
get  out  of  this  infernal  scrape.  A  fellow  can't  look 
a  foot  ahead,  and  see  how  soon  his  own  time 
will  come." 

I  heard  this  much,  and  then  his  voice  grew  indis 
tinct.  I  experienced  dizzy  sensations,  and  soon  all 
was  dark. 

It  must  have  been  midnight.  I  thought  I  heard 
familiar  voices.  I  could  not  be  mistaken.  The  cur 
tain  at  the  rear  of  the  ambulance  was  raised,  and 
William's  voice  was  heard  saying,  "  Yes,  here  he 
is,"  and  Charley  broke  in  with — "  Say,  old  fellow, 
how  are  you  ?  we  have  come  back  to  find  you,  and 
for  three  blessed  miles  we  have  looked  in  every  am 
bulance  to  see  if  you  were  there."  Three  miles 
they  tramped,  after  a  hard  day's  march,  in  search  of 
me.  But  he  continued,  "  We  have  brought  your 
supper.  We  did  not  have  much  of  a  variety  to  se 
lect  from,  but  I  found  a  piece  of  soft  bread  at  a  sut 
ler's  to-day,  and  I  have  toasted  that,  and  sprinkled 
sugar  upon  it,  and  have  brought  it  to  you,  and  now 
you  must  eat."  The  food  was  held  to  my  lips.  It 
was  sour,  dry,  tough,  and  smoky,  but  had  it  been 
ever  so  tempting  I  could  not  have  eaten  it. 

The  noble,  generous  fellows !  Their  kindness 
caused  a  great  lump  to  gather  suddenly  in  my 
throat,  and  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  swallow. 
With  kind  words  of  encouragement,  and  promis 
ing  to  visit  me  again  as  soon  as  possible,  they  bade 
me  good-bye,  and  were  gone. 

It  was  about  the  hour  of  noon,  on  the  second  day 


60  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

of  my  ambulance  ride,  when  Sam  thrust  his  head 
inside  the  carriage  with — "  Here  is  a  foiling  spring ; 
guess  I  will  fill  your  canteen  with  water."  A  few 
moments  after,  the  canteen  was  placed  at  my  side, 
and  the  ambulance  rolled  swiftly  on.  My  lips  and 
throat  were  parched  with  a  burning  heat.  With 
weak  and  eager  hands  I  seized  the  canteen  and 
pressed  it  to  my  lips.  The  water  was  so  cool  and 
delicious.  Suddenly  the  carriage  carne  in  contact 
with  some  obstacle.  There  was  a  fearful  jolt,  and 
the  canteen  slipped  from  my  nerveless  grasp.  The 
water  went  pouring  down  my  neck.  I  had  not 
strength  to  take  the  canteen  up  again,  and  I  had  the 
grim  satisfaction  of  having  three  pints  of  icy  water 
roll  in  tiny  wavelets  along  my  back  for  at  least  two 
hours.  At  that  time  I  had  not  very  pronounced 
theological  convictions  or  prejudices,  but  I  did  have 
a  strong  dislike  to  "  pouring." 

The  second  night  came,  and  we  halted  again  on 
the  muddy  road  in  the  great  dark  forest.  The  regi 
ment  was  now  so  far  away  that  my  comrades  could 
not  return.  I  knew  that  I  was  better  ;  the  fever  had 
partially  subsided,  but  I  was  so  weak  and  faint ! 
Slowly  the  hours  passed  away.  My  companion  had 
ceased  to  groan,  and  I  supposed  he  was  sleeping.  I 
knew  that  Sam  was  busily  at  work  over  a  fire  that 
he  had  built  by  the  roadside.  I  could  hear  him 
mutter  and  talk  as  he  stirred  the  fire  or  piled  more" 
fuel  upon  it.  A  savory  odor  seemed  to  fill  the  air. 
He  is  preparing  his  supper,  I  thought,  and  then  I 
fell  asleep. 

I  was  awakened.     Some  one  was  speaking  to  me. 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE    WAR.  61 

I  listened.  It  was  Sam's  voice.  "  Say  there,  old 
feller,  don't  you  want  some  supper?"  and  before  I 
could  reply,  he  rattled  on,  "  I  drew  a  Secesh  chicken 
back  along  the  road  to-day,  and  have  made 
some  broth  for  you  fellers,  but  I  find  that  your  com 
panion  has  become  uncommon  quiet,  so  I  will  give 
it  to  you."  He  rolled  up  the  side  curtains  of  the 
carriage.  A  great  fire  was  burning  close  at  its  side, 
sending  its  light  far  out  in  the  darkness,  among  the 
great  pine  trees,  until  each  one  looked  wild  and 
weird,  like  grim  giants  standing  as  sentinels  in  the 
gloom.  My  head  was  bolstered  up,  and  the  change 
of  position  afforded  so  much  relief!  The  fire  was 
warm  and  nice,  and  flooded  the  interior  of  the  car 
riage  with  its  cheerful  light,  and  as  tenderly  as  a 
woman  the  rough  fellow,  with  a  spoon,  fed  me  the 
delicious  broth.  It  was  to  me  the  "  elixir  of  life." 
I  know  that  it  was  very  childish,  but  the  tears  ran 
thick  and  fast  from  my  eyes,  and  fell  upon  the  great, 
hard  hand  that  was  so  kindly  ministering  to  my 
wants.  Sam  pretended  not  to  notice  them,  but  in 
his  comical  way  continued  to  talk. 

"  I  understand  there  has  been  an  uncommon  de 
mand  for  poultry  in  Virginny,  the  last  few  days. 
The  chivilry  have  had  lots  of  visitors  whom  they 
did  not  expect.  A  great  many  fellers  from  the 
Northern  states  have  seemed  determined  to  come 
'down  this  way.  They  didn't  even  stop  for  an  in 
vite,  and  chickens  are  mighty  hard  to  find ;  I  hardly 
know  when  I  can  draw  another.  The  old  woman 
where  I  got  this  one,  flourished  her  broomstick  over 
my  head,  and  threatened  my  life  if  I  did  not  drop 


62  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

her  chicken,  and  I  have  put  all  the  broth  and  meat 
in  this  pail  for  you ;  it  will  last  you  a  week." 

I  tried  to  thank  him,  but  gratituda  choked  my  ut 
terance.  My  head  was  laid  back  upon  its  hard  pil 
low.  The  fire  continued  to  make  the  inside  of  the 
carriage  comfortable  and  warm. 

Sam  sat  down  upon  an  old  log,  drank  his  coffee 
from  a  black  tin  cup,  and  ate  his  hard  tack  with  a 
keen  relish.  I  never  knew  his  full  name,  or  the 
state  from  which  he  enlisted,  and  if  living  I  know 
nothing  of  what  position  he  may  fill  in  life,  or  how 
his  fellow-men  may  regard  him,  but  I  do  know  that 
under  his  rough  and  coarse  exterior  he  had  a  true, 
manly  heart,  and  deserves  a  kingly  crown. 

"  Cheer  up,"  shouted  Sam,  on  the  afternoon  of 
the  third  day,  "you  are  almost  home."  He  gave 
his  whip  a  sharp  crack ;  the  weary  horses  went  on 
at  a  sharp  gallop,  and  the  ambulance  stopped  at  the 
street  of  Company  H. 

I  was  indeed  at  home.  Kind  comrades  were 
there  to  welcome  me,  William,  Charley,  and  a  dozen 
others  to  assist  them.  I  was  quickly  taken  from  the 
ambulance  and  led  to  a  tent.  I  glanced  over  my 
shoulder,  and  saw  some  men  as  they  removed  my 
companion  from  the  carriage ;  his  form  seemed  cold 
and  rigid ;  he  was  dead.  I  then  understood  why  he 
had  ceased  to  groan,  and  the  meaning  of  Sam's 
words  when  he  said  that  he  was  "  uncommon  quiet." 
My  tent-mates  went  to  thank  Sam  for  his  kindness 
to  me.  The  noble  fellow  brushed  his  rough  hand 
across  his  eyes  and  drove  rapidly  away. 

Our   camping-ground  was  a  small  pine  knoll  at 


REMINISCENCES  OF   THE  WAR.  63 

"  Stoneman's  Switch,"  near  Falmouth,  Virginia,  and 
but  a  few  miles  from  the  city  of  Fredericksburgh, 
where  the  great  battle  was  fought.  Here  our  regi 
ment  passed  its  first  winter  in  Virginia.  The  tents 
of  our  company  were  built  on  both  sides  of  our 
company  street.  The  walls  were  of  logs,  and  some 
three  feet  in  height,  and  the  sharp  roofs  were  cov 
ered  with  thick  cotton  cloth.  They  were  each 
about  eight  feet  square,  and  usually  contained  four 
men.  In  each  tent  was  a  small  fire-place  made  of 
sods  cut  from  the  muddy  soil,  and  in  these  little 
huts,  through  the  cold,  chilling  storms  of  that  long 
winter,  our  regiment  found  but  poor  protection. 
Wood  was  so  scarce  that  it  had  to  be  carried  a  long 
distance,  and  then  it  was  of  the  poorest  quality. 
At  first  the  men  could  obtain  sapling  pine  and  white- 
wood  trees  by  carrying  them  two  miles,  but  this  sup 
ply  soon  failed.  When  the  trees  were  all  gone, 
they  were  obliged  to  dig  out  the  stumps  and  roots, 
and  carry  them  that  long  distance  for  firewood. 
Our  regiment  suffered  severely  from  exposure 
and  sickness,  and  as  I  recall  those  long,  dreary 
weeks,  I  can  only  wonder  that  the  little  grave 
yard  on  the  hillside  does  not  contain  the  ashes 
of  a  greater  number  of  our  men  than  it  does.  We 
buried  some  of  the  bravest  of  our  men  there, — no 
ble  fellows,  who  had  hoped  that  if  they  were  to  die 
for  the  country  they  might  have  the  privilege  of 
dying  on  the  field  of  battle,  but  that  boon  was 
denied  them. 

A  few  of  us  visited  this  old  camp-ground  after 
the  close  of  the    war,    as    we   were  marching  from 


64  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR. 

Richmond  to  Washington,  in  1865.  The  tents  were 
all  destroyed,  the  streets  were  overgrown  with 
weeds,  the  parade-ground  was  covered  with  grass — 
all  was  changed ;  the  only  places  that  remained  in 
any  degree  in  their  natural  condition  were  the  little 
sacred  mounds  containing  the  remains  of  our  com 
rades.  Those  hillsides  of  Virginia  contain  that 
which  is  far  more  precious  to  our  nation  than  all  the 
gold  and  silver  of  its  mines — .the  priceless  ashes  of 
our  noble  dead. 

It  was  a  most  fortunate  thing  for  me  when  I 
arrived  at  the  regiment,  sick,  to  be  surrounded  by 
kind  friends,  each  of  whom  helped  me  to  get  well. 
My  tent-mates  did  all  they  could  to  make  me  com 
fortable,  and  to  prepare  food  that  would  tempt  iny 
appetite.  It  is  amusing  to  think  of  the  ordinary 
and  extraordinary  dishes  that  were  served  upon  our 
table,  and  the  various  forms  in  which  hard  tack 
made  its  appearance.  I  will  enumerate  a  few  of  the 
forms  that  I  remember : — first,  in  its  natural  condi 
tion,  those  dry,  juiceless,  flinty  sheets  or  cakes  that 
every  soldier  will  so  distinctly  remember;  second, 
broken  in  small  pieces,  soaked  in  cold  water,  fried  in 
pork  fat,  served  hot,  known  as  "Burnside  stew"; 
third,  pounded  fine,  mixed  in  water,  baked  in  thin 
cakes,  called  "  Washington  pies  "  ;  fourth,  burned 
to  a  crisp,  boiled  in  water,  to  be  eaten  with  a  spoon, 
and  this  was  called  "  Potomac  chowder." 

Each  day  some  of  the  boys  in  oi>r  company  would 
go  out  on  a  foraging  expedition,  and  if  they  found 
any  delicacy,  they  would  usually  share  it  with  me. 
"  Orlando  B — ,"  our  captain's  cook,  made  me  a  daily 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  65 

visit,  and  generally  left  a  small  package,  the  con 
tents  of  which  would  inform  me  what  the  officers 
"bill  of  fare'"  had  been  for  that  day.  All  this,  with 
a  naturally  elastic  constitution,  soon  put  me  upon 
my  feet,  and  in  a  few  weeks  I  was  as  well  as  ever. 

Of  all  the  many  frauds  perpetrated  upon  the  gov 
ernment  during  the  war,  one  of  the  greatest  was  that 
of  a  certain  class  of  men,  who  secured  commissions  as 
surgeons  and  assistant  surgeons,  men  who  knew  but 
little  of  medical  science,  and  evidently  cared  a  great 
deal  less  than  they  knew. 

When  a  regiment  was  in  camp,  there  was  usually, 
at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  a  bugle  call,  known 
as  the  "sick  call,"  or  as  the  boys  used  to  render  it, 
"come  and  get  your  quinine."  Then  the  sick  in 
each  company,  who  were  able,  would  march  in  charge 
of  a  sergeant  to  the  surgeon's  tent  where  they  would 
be  examined,  excused  from  duty,  and  have  their 
medical  wants  supplied.  If  they  were  not  able  to 
march  to  the  surgeon's  tent,  they  would  remain  in 
their  own  tents,  and  be  visited  by  the  surgeon  or  one 
of  his  assistants.  One  of  the  latter  class  came  under 
my  own  observation,  and  it  was  very  amusing  to  fol 
low  him  in  his  daily  visitation  of  the  sick.  I  do  not 
think  any  person  in  his  regiment  ever  had  any  possi 
ble  conception  as  to  how  he  came  by  his  commission ; 
but  he  had  one  and  retained  it  until  he  was  dis 
missed  from  the  service.  Let  us  follow  him  in  a 
series  of  his  morning  calls.  He  is  a  large,  robust 
man,  but  he  moves  with  that  peculiar  languor  of  one 
who  has  been  tired  from  his  birth.  The  boys  have 
whispered  around  through  the  regiment  that  he  is 


66  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

terribly  afflicted  with  an  insect  known  as  "pediadus 
(humanus)  capitis"  and  that  a  lack  of  energy  on  his 
part  has  enabled  them  to  firmly  intrench  themselves 
upon  his  person.  He  enters  tent  number  one ;  we 
listen,  and  the  following  ensues.  The  medical  man 
gives  his  back  a  most  vigorous  scratch,  and  asks  the 
patient,  "  What  ails  you  ?  "  Patient  answers,  "  A 
severe  cold."  Surgeon,  "  Let  me  see  your  tongue." 
This  member  is  duly  exhibited,  the  surgeon  counts  a 
small  handful  of  pills  from  a  tin  box,  hands  them  to 
the  patient  with  the  instructions,  "  Take  one  each 
two  hours."  Patient  number  two  is  reached.  An 
other  scratch ;  "  What  ails  you  ?  "  "A  severe  attack 
of  rheumatism,  sir."  "  Let  me  see  your  tongue." 
Another  handful  of  pills ;  "  One  each  two  hours." 
Patient  number  three  is  accosted  with  "  What  ails 
you,  sir?"  with  a  more  vigorous  scratch.  Patient 
replies,  "  I  am  just  recovering  from  a  severe  attack 
of  typhoid  fever."  "  Let  me  see  your  tongue;  one  of 
these  pills  each  two  hours."  And  thus  the  farce 
goes  on,  until  he  has  visited  half  a  hundred  patients, 
made  many  ineffectual  attempts  to  dislodge  "the  tor 
mentors  from  his  back,  prescribed  for  a  score  of  dis 
eases,  decided  each  patient's  condition  by  an  exam 
ination  of  his  tongue,  and  furnished  remedies  from 
the  same  box  of  pills.  Fortunately  for  both  the  men 
and  the  government,  the  pills  were  never  taken,  and 
consequently  many  of  the  men  recovered. 

Drawing  rations  is  one  of  the  most  interesting 
events  in  a  soldier's  life.  Rations  are  usually  drawn 
once  in  three  days. 

"Company  H,  fall  in  for  rations,"  shouts  a  ser- 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR.  67 

geant,  standing  at  the  head  of  the  company  street, 
and  out  from  twenty  tents  tumble  the  men  for 
rations.  Haversacks,  tin  cups  and  cloth  bags  are 
carried  to  receive  the  treasure.  Nine  cakes  of  hard 
tack  a  day,  twenty-seven  cakes  for  three  days'  ra 
tions  are  counted  out  for  each  man.  Three  spoon 
fuls  of  sugar  and  coffee  are  dipped  out  to  every  man, 
for  each  day's  rations,  and  a  small  piece  of  meat. 

Wonderful  rations,  and  most  wonderful  times  we 
used  to  have  in  eating  them.  Many  laughable  inci 
dents  would  occur.  One  man  in  our  company  was 
always  eating  hard  tack ;  at  all  times  and  under  all 
circumstances  he  was  grinding  the  dry,  hard  cakes. 
He  carried  them  in  his  pockets ;  and  on  drill,  guard 
mountings,  dress  parade  and  review,  crunch,  crunch, 
would  go  those  tireless  jaws  upon  the  flinty  substance. 
The  captain  grew  nervous,  listening  to  the  endless 
grinding  of  the  bread,  and  at  last  became  quite  des 
perate  ;  and  one  day  when  the  grinding  was  unusu 
ally  brisk,  he  called  out  savagely :  "  Keegan,  why  on 
earth  are  you  always  crunching  hard  bread  ?  "  And 
Keegan  with  great  innocence  replied:  "The  juice, 
sir,  I  am  very  fond  of  the  juice." 

At  another  time  an  English  recruit  who  was  in  our 
company  found  a  few  green  apples  very  early  in  the 
season,  and  hastily  stewed  them  for  sauce.  Just  as 
the  dish  containing  the  sauce  was  removed  from  the 
fire,  the  order  was  given  to  fall  in  for  inspection. 
In  his  haste  he  upset  the  dish  of  sauce  upon  his 
equipments  and  uniform.  The  regiment  was  quickly 
in  line,  the  division  inspector,  accompanied  by  the 


68  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

colonel  arid  staff  officers,  soon  reached  our  company. 
Each  man  presented  his  rifle  for  inspection  as  they 
passed  along  the  line.  The  officer  took  the  rifle  this 
man  presented,  but  to  his  surprise  and  horror  his 
gloves  of  immaculate  whiteness  were  covered  with  a 
soft,  sticky  substance.  He  looked  at  them  a  mo 
ment  in  disgust,  and  then  with  an  oath  demanded  of 
the  man,  "  What  is  that  ?  "  And  the  culprit  with 
his  peculiar  drawling  brogue  made  answer :  "  It  is 
nothin'  but  green  apple  sass,  sir."  For  once  military 
authority  and  decorum  was  powerless. 

Receiving  the  mail  was  always  a  season  of  joy 
and  disappointment.  Each  letter  received  was  like 
a  messenger  from  home,  and  was  an  additional  cord 
binding  our  hearts  to  our  loved  ones.  Perhaps,  if  on 
the  march  no  mail  had  been  received  for  weeks,  we 
hear  the  brigade  bugle,  that  old,  familiar  call,  u  Dan, 
Dan,  Butterfield,  Butter  field"  We  listen  in  sus 
pense.  Clear  and  shrill  comes  the  bugle  notes  upon 
the  air — "Come  and  get  your  mail,  come  and  get 
your  mail."  It  soon  arrives  at  the  regimental  head 
quarters,  and  is  quickly  distributed  among  the  com 
panies.  The  orderly  sergeant  stands  in  the  street 
and  cries  out,  "  Fall  in  for  your  mail."  The  men 
need  no  '  second  invitation ;  eagerly  they  watch  and 
listen ;  name  after  name  is  called,  until  every  letter 
has  been  delivered,  unless  it  is  just  after  the  battle, 
and  as  names  are  called,  some  one  answers  dead, 
dead.  Some  are  joyous  over  the  messages  they 
have  received,  others  are  disappointed,  but  comfort 
themselves  with  the  thought  that  the  next  mail  will 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAR.  69 

bring  them  the  prize,  while  a  few  look  on  sadly  and 
think  there  are  no  friends  to  send  them  tidings  of 
sympathy  and  love. 

In  our  company  was  a  young  man  who  occupied 
the  position  of  a  sergeant,  a  brave,  quiet,  gentle 
manly  fellow.  He  had  left  a  good  situation,  to  fight 
for  the  old  flag.  He  was  always  at  his  post,  and 
took  great  pride  in  discharging  every  duty  in  a  sol 
dierly  manner.  He  was  one  of  the  best  soldiers  in 
the  regiment.  While  we  were  in  camp  at  Stone- 
man's  Switch,  he  was  sick  for  a  few  days,  and  was 
excused  by  the  surgeon  from  all  duty.  While  he 
was  in  this  condition,  the  regiment  was  from  camp  for 
several  days,  and  none  but  the  sick  were  left  behind. 

Our  quartermaster  was  a  large,  rough,  overbear 
ing  man,  one  who  disgraced  his  uniform  every  day 
by  his  brutal  treatment  of  the  men ;  and  to  say  that 
he  was  most  cordially  despised  by  every  man  in  our 
company  would  be  putting  it  in  a  very  mild  form. 

While  the  regiment  was  from  camp,  the  quarter 
master  came  to  our  company  street,  and  seeing  this 
sergeant  standing  at  his  tent  door,  ordered  him  to 
get  an  ax,  and  go  up  to  the  quartermaster's  tent  and 
cut  him  some  wood.  The  sergeant  informed  him 
that  he  was  sick,  and  not  able  to  walk  so  far,  but 
with  bitter  abuse  he  was  ordered  to  obey.  The  ser 
geant  replied  that  he  was  sick,  and  excused  from  all 
duty,  and  that  he  was  also  a  non-commissioned  offi 
cer,  and  not  supposed  to  do  such  work  when  he  was 
well.  At  this  point  the  quartermaster  knocked  him 
down  with  brutal  force,  and  kicked  his  prostrate 
form,  and  then  returned  to  his  tent. 


70  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

A  few  days  after  this  the  regiment  returned  to 
camp.  The  quartermaster  reported  that  the  ser 
geant  had  refused  to  obey  his  orders,  and  the  latter, 
without  a  hearing,  was  disgraced,  and  reduced  to 
the  ranks. 

The  weeks  passed  away.  The  young  man  felt  his 
disgrace  most  keenly.  His  noble  nature  was  stung 
to  the  quick  by  the  great  injustice  that  had  been 
done  him.  He  never  murmured,  but  manfully  per 
formed  the  duties  of  a  private  soldier.  He  never 
spoke  of  the  matter  except  when  the  boys  gave  him 
their  sympathy  for  his  encouragement;  but  every 
one  in  the  company  knew  the  pent-up  anguish  of 
his  heart. 

Gettysburgh  was  reached.  Little  Round  Top 
shook  in  the  roar  of  conflict.  Ever  at  the  front,  this 
man  was  among  the  first  to  fall.  When  the  first 
lull  in  the  battle  came,  his  comrades  stooped  over 
him.  The  life-blood  was  gushing  from  a  fatal 
wound.  He  was  dying.  His  thin,  blue  lips  curled 
in  scornful  derision,  and  he  muttered,  "  They  re 
duced  me  to  the  ranks,  but  I  will  show  them  I  am 
not  afraid  to  die."  Colonel  Chamberlain  was  sent 
for.  That  gallant  officer  came  and  knelt  by  his  side. 
"  I  was  disgraced,"  hoarsely  whispered  the  dying 
hero.  "  You  are  now  exonerated,  and  promoted  to 
a  sergeancy,"  exclaimed  the  .chivalrous  officer.  A 
sweet  smile  played  upon  the  wan  features ;  a  look  or 
satisfaction  came  to  the  hungry  eyes,  and  he  was 
dead.  In  the  national  cemetery  at  Gettysburgh  is  a 
little  mound  marked  Sergeant  George  H.  Buck,  Co. 
H,  20th  Maine  Volunteers. 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  71 

The  quartermaster  returned  to  Maine  at  the  close 
of  the  war.  A  few  years  later,  telegrams  were  flying 
over  the  state  with  the  intelligence  that  there  had 
been  an  attempted  robbery  of  the  Lime  Rock  Bank 
at  Rockland,  that  the  burglars  had  been  arrested, 
and  that  among  them  was  a  prominent  business  man 
of  that  town.  As  the  members  of  our  old  regiment 
read  his  name,  they  saw  it  was  the  ex-quartermaster 
of  whom  I  have  been  writing.  He  was  tried,  found 
guilty,  and  sentenced  to  serve  a  term  of  years  in  the 
state  prison.  As  I  saw  him  in  the  labor  gang  at 
Thomaston,  dressed  in  his  convict's  garb,  I  could  not 
help  thinking  of  the  little  affair  at  Stoneman's 
Switch,  and  of  Sergeant  Buck's  honored  grave  at 
Gettysburgh, 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THREE   VISITS   TO    FREDERICKSBURGH. 

FREDERICKSBURGH  is  an  old  city  in  the  county  of 
Spottsylvania,  Virginia.  It  is  situated  on  the  south-  . 
era  bank  of  the  Rappahannock  river,  and  is  about 
sixty  miles  from  Richmond.  At  the  breaking  out  of 
the  rebellion  it  contained  .about  four  thousand  inhab 
itants.  The  valley  of  the  Rappahannock  is  so  nar 
row  at  this  place  that  it  hardly  permits  the  passage 
of  the  river,  the  southern  bank  of  which  rises  in  nat 
ural  terraces  many  feet  above  the  river's  Jevel.  On 
the  first  of  these  terraces  rests  the  city,  and  upon 
those  in  rear  of  and  above  was  fought  the  great 
battle  of  Fredericksburgh.  On  the  north  side 
of  the  river  the  land  rises  so  high  that  artillery 
planted  upon  its  heights  commands  the  city  on  the 
opposite  side,  and  also  affords  a  fine  view  of  the 
heights  above,  where  the  army  of  General  Lee  was 
intrenched. 

The  North  had  become  impatient  at  the  long  de 
lays  of  General  McClellan,  and  when  General  Burn- 
side  assumed  command,  public  sentiment  strongly 
demanded  a  forward  movement.  "  On  to  Rich 
mond"  was  the  cry;  and  the  brave  General  Burnside 
decided  that  the  advance  should  be  made  by  the  way 
of  Fredericksburgh.  The  army  was  reorganized, 
and  divided  into  three  grand  divisions,  commanded 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR.  73 

by  Generals  Hooker,  Sumner,  and  Franklin.  On 
the  night  of  Wednesday,  December  10th,  1862,  the 
work  of  building  pontoon  bridges  across  the  river 
began.  On  Thursday  and  Friday  there  was  a  great 
deal  of  fighting  where  the  bridges  were  being  built. 
Our  movements  were  tardy  and  slow,  and  this  ena 
bled  the  enemy  to  concentrate  his  forces,  and  fortify 
his  position.  The  city  was  filled  with  sharpshooters, 
who  poured  a  most  deadly  fire  upon  our  men,  who 
were  engaged  in  the  work  of  building  the  bridges; 
and  as  a  last  resort,  our  artillery  planted  upon  the 
northern  bank  of  the  river  shelled  the  town  most 
vigorously  and  drove  the  rebels  out.  When 
Friday  night  came,  the  divisions  of  Franklin  and 
Sumner  were  nearly  all  across  the  river.  The  dark 
ness  was  intense,  but  what  a  magnificent  view  met 
our  eyes  as  we  stood  upon  the  Stafford  hills  on  the 
north  bank  of  the  river. 

Far  above  the  city,  on  St.  Mary's  heights,  in  a 
crescent-like  form,  shone  the  camp-fires  of  General 
Lee.  Thousands  of  General  Sumner's  men  were 
encamped  within  the  city,  and  their  camp-fires,  burn 
ing  upon  the  streets  and  squares,  shone  up  brightly 
and  cheerfully  in  the  darkness.  Far  down  on  our 
left,  confronting  the  hosts  of  "  Stonewall  Jackson," 
Franklin's  men  were  encamped,  and  their  long  line 
of  flitting  camp-fires  .showed  us  what  an  immense 
atmy  there  was  prepared  for  battle  on  the  morrow. 
Fifty  thousand  men,  under  the  command  of  General 
Hooker,  encamped  on  the  northern  bank  of  the 
river,  were  to  cross  to-morrow. 

What  thoughts  filled  our  minds  as  we  looked  at 
4 


74  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAB. 

the  strange  scene !  O,  that  we  could  read  the  fu 
ture,  and  be  able  to  tell  what  a  day  would  bring 
forth!  What  would  be  the  result  of  to-morrow's 
battle?  Why  had  the  scores  of  rebel  batteries  on 
yonder  heights  remained  so  silent  while  our  men 
were  crossing?  Had  General  Lee  become  fright 
ened  as  he  looked  down  from  his  lofty  position,  and 
saw  the  vast  Union  army  marshaling  for  the  as 
sault?  and  had  he  ordered  a  retreat  to  Richmond 
without  a  battle  ?  or  had  our  men  been  drawn  into 
a  fatal  trap  ?  Had  Lee  reserved  his  bolts  of  thun 
der,  to  hurl  them  upon  our  men  in  to-morrow's 
conflict  ? 

A  vague  suspicion  filled  our  minds  as  we  looked; 
and  as  we  thought  of  the  fearful  carnage,  the  very 
air  seemed  tremulous  with  ominous  sounds. 

There  was  but  little  sleep  that  night;  the  men  sat 
around  their  camp-fires,  and  talked  of  the  morrow. 
Patriotic  songs  were  sung,  and  hearts  beat  high  in 
anticipation  of  a  glorious  victory.  Perhaps  after  all 
it  is  well  for  us  that  we  are  not  able  to  discern  the 
future.  A  knowledge  of  coming  events  might  un 
man  our  hearts,  and  disqualify  us  to  perform  our 
duties. 

Saturday  morning  dawned.  Many  of  our  men 
ate  their  last  breakfast  on  that  morning,  little  dream 
ing  what  awaited  them  on  that  fatal  day.  As  I 
have  already  intimated,  the  rebel  army  was  well 
posted  and  strongly  intrenched.  Their  right  was 
commanded  by  "  Stonewall  Jackson  "  :  Longstreet 
commanded  the  center,  and  General  A.  P.  Hill  their 
left. 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAR.  75 

The  morning  was  quite  warm,  and  a  thick  fog 
enfolded  the  contending  hosts.  Franklin's  men, 
who  had  crossed  the  river  on  pontoons,  three  miles 
below  the  city,  on  the  previous  day,  were  early  in 
motion,  and  the  sounds  of  battle  came  rolling  heav 
ily  up  from  our  left,  and  the  conflict  soon  opened  in 
our  front.  The  rebel  artillery  that  crowned  the 
heights  and  encircled  the  city  poured  a  fearful  storm 
upon  our  men  who  were  within  its  streets,  and 
our  artillery  thundered  a  terrible  response.  It  was 
an  artillery  duel,  in  which  it  seemed  that  the  gods 
were  the  combatants,  and  were  hurling  those  iron 
globes  with  almighty  power.  It  was  soon  apparent 
that  our  tremendous  cannonade  had  made  but  little 
impression  upon  the  rebel  works,  and  that  if  they 
Were  taken,  it  must  be  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet. 
But  what  a  fearful  undertaking!  It  is  not  necessary 
to  search  the  pages  of  ancient  history,  or  the  mili 
tary  records  of  Europe,  to  find  deeds  of  heroic 
Valor,  but  only  to  look  at  the  divisions  of  Howard  and 
French  as  they  form  their  lines  to  make  that  charge. 
Never  did  brave  men  undertake  a  more  desperate 
enterprise.  At  a  double-quick  they  rushed  toward 
the  rebel  lines.  The  crescent-shaped  hills  above 
them  were  crowned  with  fire,  as  a  score  of  rebel  bat 
teries  opened  upon  them.  Thick  and  fast  came  the 
plunging,  bursting,  shrieking  messengers  of  death, 
but  they  heeded  them  not,  and  with  wild  cheers 
pressed  onward.  They  had  almost  rea.ched  the  base 
of  the  ridge  upon  which  the  rebels  were  intrenched, 
when  the  long  lines  of  rifle-pits  behind  the  stone 
wall  and  far  up  the  hillside,  gleamed  with  fire,  and 


76  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

twenty  thousand  rifles  poured  their  deadly  contents 
upon  them.  Their  artillery  was  so  posted  that  every 
gun  could  be  turned  upon  any  given  point,  and  thus 
from  the  front  and  along  either  flank  was  poured  the 
cruel  iron  storm.  Men  fell  by  hundreds,  battalions 
melted  away,  the  line  was  shattered,  it  staggered, 
then  halted,  and  the  next  moment  fell  back  repulsed, 
and  sought  shelter  in  a  small  ravine.  They  were 
reinforced  by  fresh  troops,  and  charged  repeatedly 
upon  the  heights,  but  only  to  be  hurled  back  over 
those  fatal  slopes  that  were  raked  by  the  rebel  guns. 

THE   FIRST    VISIT. 

It  is  late  in  the  afternoon ;  Hooker's  division  is  or 
dered  to  cross  the  river ;  it  is  a  critical  moment. 
On  yonder  field  the  battle  is  undecided ;  the  river, 
city,  and  hillsides  are  throbbing  in  the  fearful  con 
flict  ;  fifty  thousand  men  are  hastening  to  reinforce 
the  shattered  and  bleeding  columns  that  have  been 
repulsed;  banners  wave,  bands  play,  the  soldiers 
cheer,  and  the  rebels  shell  our  advancing  columns ; 
but  in  the  thrilling  excitement  of  that  hour  the 
shells  have  lost  their  terror.  We  rushed  across  the 
pontoon  bridges,  and  charged  up  through  the  city, 
until  we  reached  its  outskirts,  where  our  brigade 
formed  a  line  of  battle  about  one-fourth  of  a  mile 
from  our  most  advanced  position.  For  an  hour  we 
lay  flat  in  the  mud  upon  our  faces,  to  escape  the 
shells  that  were  screaming  and  crashing  over  our 
heads.  A  terrible  struggle  was  raging  around  us. 
New  lines  were  rapidly  formed  to  take  the  place  of 
those  mown  down  by  the  fire  of  the  enemy.  Charge 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAR.  77 

after  charge  was  made  upon  the  rebel  lines  by  our 
troops  with  that  same  reckless  valor  they  had  exhib 
ited  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  day.  Again  and  again 
were  the  blue  lines  thrown  back  from  those  heights 
girded  with  death.  The  field  was  thickly  covered 
with  the  fallen,  many  of  whom  were  dead ;  others 
were  wounded  and  unable  to  leave  the  field,  mangled 
and  bleeding,  trodden  under  the  feet  of  the  charging 
columns  as  they  advance  and  recede,  having  been 
victims  by  scores,  of  bursting  shells  and  plunging 
shot. 

In  the  midst  of  all  this  confusion  our  brigade  bugle 
sounded  the  charge.  In  a  moment's  time  our  men 
were  on  their  feet,  charging  at  a  double-quick 
through- gardens,  over  wire  fences  and  deep  ditches. 
The  air  was  filled  with  iron  hail.  It  was  the  first 
baptism  of  fire  that  our  regiment  ever  received,  but 
with  the  inspiration  derived  from  such  a  man  as 
Colonel  Ames,  it  was  a  very  easy  thing  to  face  dan 
ger  and  death.  The  ground  over  which  we  charged 
was  dotted  with  the  forms,  and  stained  with  the 
blood,  of  our  brave  comrades  who  had  charged  over 
the  same  ground  at  an  earlier  hour.  We  pressed  on 
until  our  most  advanced  line  was  passed,  and  then 
halted  under  the  cover  of  a  little  elevation  of  ground. 
Above  us  and  almost  within  speaking  distance  was 
line  after  line  of  earthworks  filled  with  rebels,  while 
above  them  was  the  artillery  vomiting  fire  and  death 
incessantly.  The  utter  impossibility  of  taking  the 
rebel  position  was  manifest  to  every  man  in  the  regi 
ment,  but  we  blazed  away  at  the  enemy,  and  they 
at  us.  The  ground  was  covered  with  guns,  blankets, 


78  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE    WAR. 

knapsacks,  haversacks  and  canteens,  while  the  dead 
forms  of  our  comrades  were  lying  grim  and  ghastly 
around  us.  These  placed  in  front  of  us  afforded 
slight  protection  from  the  enemy's  guns.  Night 
came  on  with  its  friendly  mantle  of  darkness,  and 
through  the  long  hours  of  that  December  night,  we 
remained  prostrated  upon  the  wet,  muddy  ground. 
There  could  be  no  sleep  ;  the  groans  of  the  wounded, 
and  the  scattered  firing  kept  up  between  the  con 
tending  lines,  made  a  strange  medley  for  those  who 
listened.  There  was  a  singular  conflict  in  our 
breasts.  We  were  wishing  the  hours  away,  and  yet 
dreaded  to  have  the  darkness  disappear. 

Sunday  morning  came ;  there  was  no  aggressive 
movement  made  on  either  side.  Our  generals  had 
evidently  decided  that  it  was  impossible  for  us  to 
carry  the  heights.  Our  army  was  at  the  mercy  of 
General  Lee,  but  evidently  he  was  not  aware  of  our 
situation.  Our  troops  were  crowded  back  in  the 
narrow  streets  of  the  city,  and  upon  the  bank  of  the 
river.  Our  only  means  of  recrossing  was  upon  pon 
toon  bridges,  and  the  enemy  had  artillery  enough  in 
position  to  blow  every  pontoon  in  our  possession  out 
t>f  the  river.  It  was  impossible  for  us  to  advance, 
&nd  equally  impossible  for  us  to  retreat,  if  the  enemy 
Was  disposed  to  prevent  it.  Our  position  was  much 
more  desperate  than  that  of  General  Lee  after  the 
battle  of  Antietarn.  If  General  Lee  had  opened  his 
guns  upon  our  army,  situated  as  it  was  on  that  Sab 
bath  morning,  its  destruction  or  surrender  would 
have  been  a  foregone  conclusion.  Why  Lee  did  not 
seize  the  opportunity,  I  do  not  know ;  but  the  fact 


REMINISCENCES   OF    THE   WAK.  79 

that  he  did  not,  goes  far  to  prove  that  he  was  not  so 
skillful  a  commander  as  his  admirers  would  have  us 
believe. 

Our  brigade  was  in  close  quarters  on  that  memo 
rable  Sabbath,  and  the  Johnnies  kept  a  strict  watch 
over  our  movements.  It  used  to  be  the  old  adage  at 
Donneybrook  Fair,  "  Wherever  you  see  a  head,  hit 
it,"  and  with  our  enemy  it  was,  "  Wherever  you  see  a 
head,  shoot  it"  ;  and  as  soon  as  we  understood  that 
they  desired  us  to  remain  quiet,  we  were  very  willing 
to  gratify  them.  There  were  only  a  very  few  excep 
tions  to  this  rule.  Here  and  there  was  a  man  who 
was  so  reckless  that  he  would  stand  up  and  fire  at 
the  rebels,  and  thus  bring  upon  us  the  fire  of  the 
entire  line.  One  man  in  Company  B  took  special 
delight  in  this.  He  was  cautioned  by  his  comrades, 
and  ordered  by  his  officers,  to  desist,  but  heeded 
them  not.  He  saw  a  rebel  far  above  him,  on  the 
hillside ;  rising  to  his  feet,  he  took  deliberate  aim, 
and  fired.  A  sharpshooter  saw  him ;  a  bullet  came 
singing  through  the  air,  and  with  a  dull  thud  it 
struck  in  the  man's  brow,  and  he  fell  a  corpse,  a  vic 
tim  of  his  own  rashness.  Thus  through  the  en 
tire  day  we  lay,  hungry,  covered  with  mud,  and 
benumbed  with  cold. 

At  about  ten  o'clock  on  Sunday  evening,  under 
cover  of  the  darkness,  we  were  relieved  by  another 
brigade,  and  fell  back  to  the  city.  We  spread  our 
blankets  upon  the  sidewalks,  and  endeavored  to  get 
a  little  sleep.  Notwithstanding  the  grave  situation 
of  the  army,  as  a  regiment  we  were  much  elated. 
We  had  fought  our  first  battle,  had  made  a  most 


80  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR, 

brilliant  charge  with  unbroken  ranks,  where  vet 
eran  regiments  had  faltered  in  fear.  Colonel  Ames 
passed  among  the  men  and  complimented  them  for 
their  gallant  conduct ;  and  we  all  appreciated  such 
words  of  praise,  coming  from  so  brave  and  brilliant 
an  officer.  Sunday  night  passed,  and  Monday  came 
and  went,  but  no  movements  of  importance  were 
made  on  either  side.  Burnside  was  preparing  to  re 
treat  from  his  perilous  position,  and  Lee  was 
strengthening  his  lines  in  fear  that  another  assault 
was  to  be  made.  Late  on  Monday  night  our  brigade 
was  pushed  up  close  to  the  enemy's  lines,  and  in  the 
darkness  the  work  of  recrossing  the  river  began.  It 
was  a  most  dangerous  undertaking,  and  upon  its  suc 
cess  depended  the  salvation  of  the  army  if  not  of 
the  government.  The  pontoons  were  covered  with 
earth,  that  no  noise  should  reach  the  enemy  and  in 
form  him  of  the  movement  we  were  making. 
Swiftly,  and  in  silence,  the  troops  moved  on.  At 
two  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  were  withdrawn,  and 
marched  back  through  the  city,  and  to  our  surprise 
found  that  the  army  had  nearly  all  recrossed  the 
river.  I  think  that  our  brigade  was  the  last  one  to 
leave  the  enemy's  front,  and  our  regiment  was  the 
last  of  the  brigade  to  recross  the  river. 

The  battle  had  been  fought  and  lost.  Ten 
thousand  Union  soldiers  -had  been  killed  and 
wounded.  Burnside  had  blundered  in  crossing  the 
river,  Lee  had  blundered  in  allowing  him  to  recross. 
With  sad  hearts  we  marched  away  from  the  field  of 
battle,  and  thus  closed  my  first  visit  to  Freder- 
icksburgh. 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAE.  81 

MY  SECOND   VISIT 

to  Fredericksburgh  was  made  in  May,  1864.  The 
flames  of  war  had  been  sweeping  for  several  days 
through  the  dense  thickets  of  the  wilderness. 
Grant  had  begun  that  desperate  march  from  the 
"Rapidan  to  the  James."  A  long  line  of  ambu 
lances  and  baggage  wagons,  heavily  laden  with 
wounded  soldiers  made  its  weary  way  from  the  bat 
tle-field  to  Fredericksburgh. 

Saturday  night,  Sunday,  and  Sunday  night,  had 
passed  away  while  we  were  making  this  brief  jour 
ney.  On  Monday,  at  noon,  we  entered  the  city. 
The  growling  of  a  distant  cannonade  was  heard  far 
away  at  Spottsylvania.  There  were  but  few  of  the 
inhabitants  that  showed  themselves  outside  of  their 
homes,  and  those  looked  dark  and  threatening,  with 
no  sympathy  for  the  boys  who  had  gone  down  in 
defense  of  the  stars  and  stripes. 

The  baggage  wagon,  drawn  by  six  mules,  in  which 
twelve  of  us  had  been  carried  from  the  wilderness, 
halted  by  a  little  churchyard,  where  we  were  un 
loaded,  and  placed  under  the  shade  of  some  great 
trees.  Slowly  the  wounded  were  taken  from  the 
carriages.  By  scores,  hundreds  and  thousands  they 
came.  The  church,  the  yard,  every  square,  and 
many  of  the  buildings,  were  filled  with  the  suffering 
soldiers.  Scores  had  died  by  the  way,  and  hundreds 
.of  others  died  here.  I  was  very  hungry,  but  there 
was  no  food;  my  shattered  leg  had  not  been  dressed 
since  it  was  injured ;  it  was  inflamed,  swollen,  and 
painful,  but  I  forgot  it  all  as  I  watched  the  acute 
suffering  of  those  around  me — humanity  shot  and 
4* 


82  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR. 

mangled  in  every  conceivable  form  !  The  surgeons 
worked  with  untiring  zeal  in  attending  to  the  most 
serious  cases.  There  was  a  fearful  lack  of  bandages, 
lint,  arid  everything  necessary  to  dress  the  wounds. 
Through  Monday  night  and  Tuesday,  the  air  was 
filled  with  the  groans  of  the  suffering  heroes.  What 
a  terrible  thing  is  war,  and  what  a  fearful  responsi 
bility  rests  upon  the  instigators  of  that  most  unholy 
rebellion ! 

On  Tuesday  I  was  surprised  to  hear  my  name 
called,  and  to  see  approaching  me  an  old  schoolmate, 
known  as  Freddie  Ward  when  we  were  boys  to 
gether,  and  who  was  then  a  member  of  the  17th 
Regiment  U.  S.  Infantry.  He  had  been  in  search  of 
food,  and  had  obtained  two  cakes  of  hard  bread,  and 
a  tin  cup  half  filled  with  coffee.  He  needed  no  in 
vitation  to  divide.  We  sat  on  the  ground,  and  ate 
the  priceless  food ;  we  forgot  the  war  and  all  our  sur 
roundings  ;  once  more  we  were  boys  together  in  the 
good  old  state  of  Maine ;  and  thus  we  passed  most 
delightful  moments  as  we  talked  of  home.  He  re 
mained  with  me  until  evening,  when  our  train  was 
once  more  in  motion.  We  climbed  slowly  and  pain 
fully  into  our  wagon ;  the  mules  started  off  at  a 
brisk  pace.  The  great  carriage  lumbered  and  rat 
tled  down  the  principal  street  leading  toward  the 
Rappahannock  river;  and  for  the  second  time  I 
bade  good-bye  to  Fredericksburgh. 

MY   THIRD   VISIT 

was  on  a  beautiful  May  evening  in  1865.  A  long 
line  of  infantry  marched  along  the  northern  bank  of 
the  Rappahannock  river,  and  encamped  just  oppo- 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAK.  83 

site  the  city  of  Fredericksburgh.  Their  uniforms 
were  stained  and  ragged,  and  their  flags  were  torn 
to  shreds.  They  had  evidently  seen  much  service 
in  the  open  field.  It  was  the  First  division  of  the 
old  Fifth  Army  corps,  commanded  by  Major-General 
Chamberlain.  They  were  fresh  from  the  surrender 
of  General  Lee  at  Appomattox,  and  were  marching 
from  Richmond  to  Washington.  The  tents  were 
quickly  pitched,  and  the  weary  soldiers  lay  down  to 
rest,  but  I  had  a  strong  desire  to  revisit  the  city. 
In  the  deep  twilight  I  crossed  the  river,  and  passed 
up  one  of  the  principal  streets.  The  indications  of 
war  only  existed  in  the  buildings,  battered  and  rid 
dled  by  shot  and  shells. 

I  reached  the  little  churchyard.  It  was  not  filled 
with  suffering  humanity  as  it  had  been  just  one  year 
before.  A  few  worshipers  had  entered  the  sanctu 
ary  ;  a  sweet  song  of  prayer  was  rolling  out  so  softly 
on  the  still,  evening  air ;  I  listened,  the  words  were 
so  familiar  : 

"  Jesus,  lover  of  my  soul, 
Let  me  to  thy  bosom  fly, 
When  the  nearer  waters  roll, 
While  the  tempests  still  are  high." 

I  passed  on,  as  nearly  as  possible  over  the  ground 
where  our  regiment  made  its  charge,  and  then 
climbed  to  the  heights  from  which  we  had  been  re 
pulsed.  There  were  no  indications  left  of  the  fear 
ful  struggle.  The  breastworks  had  been  leveled; 
the  green  grass  covered  the  graves  of  blue  and  gray 
alike,  so  that  the  one  could  not  be  told  from  the 
other.  I  sat  for  a  few  moments  on  a  little  knoll. 


84  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

How  peaceful  and  quiet!  The  air  was  soft  and 
balmy ;  the  tinkle  of  a  cowbell  came  faint  and  low 
from  a  distant  field ;  a  little  group  of  children  were 
playing  and  laughing  merrily  in  a  yard  just  below 
me ;  the  songs  of  the  worshipers  were  indistinctly 
heard  in  the  distance.  I  thought  of  the  war  now 
ended,  of  the  brave  comrades  we  had  left  on  so 
many  bloody  fields,  of  the  sacred  dust  scattered  so 
lavishly  upon  the  slopes  before  me.  I  could  stay  no 
longer ;  the  silence  was  oppressive ;  and  with  noise 
less  steps  I  retraced  my  way  down  the  hill,  through 
the  little  city,  across  the  river,  to  my  regiment,  rolled 
myself  in  a  blanket,  and  tried  to  sleep. 


CHAPTER  V. 

HOOKER'S  CAMPAIGN — CHANCELLORS VILLE. 

GENERAL  HOOKER  superseded  General  Burnside 
in  the  command  of  the  army  of  the  Potomac,  on  the 
26th  of  January,  1863,  and  quickly  the  army  re 
sponded  to  the  genius  of  its  new  commander.  At 
that  time  Hooker  was  the  favorite  with  the  army. 
There  was  something  magnetic  in  the  brilliant  and 
reckless  daring  of  the  man,  and  he  possessed  the 
wonderful  genius  of  imparting  his  own  enthusiasm 
and  daring  to  every  man  in  his  command.  When 
it  was  known  that  he  was  to  be  our  leader,  a  new  in 
spiration  seemed  to  be  given  unto  us  all.  We  had 
all  admired  General  Burnside,  and  had  thought  that 
his  failures  were  largely  due  to  the  fact  that  he  did 
not  have  the  hearty  support  of  his  corps  command 
ers,  that  they  had  taken  advantage  of  his  noble, 
manly  nature,  to  work  his  ruin.  We  knew  that 
Joe  Hooker  was  not  that  kind  of  a  fellow,  that  no 
corps  commanders  would  trifle  with  him,  that  he 
would  deliberately  shoot  any  man  who  would  dare 
to  disobey  him,  whether  he  wore  the  coarse  uniform 
of  a  private  soldier,  or  the  golden  straps  of  a  major- 
general.  The  whole  army  seemed  to  be  invigorated 
with  a  new  life.  Excellent  rations  were  issued  to 
the  men.  There  was  drill  and  discipline,  and  the 
tall,  erect  figure  of  "  Fighting  Joe  "  became  a  famil- 


86  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

iar  sight  to  the  soldiers'  eyes  as  he  daily  dashed  here 
and  there  through  the  various  corps  of  the  army. 
Every  man  was  hopeful,  and  we  used  to  boast,  around 
our  camp-fires,  that  we  would  handle  the  "  Johnnies  " 
without  gloves  when  the  spring  campaign  opened. 

The  army  of  the  Potomac  at  that  time  must  have 
numbered  one  hundred  thousand  men,  and  it  is  very 
doubtful  if  it  was  ever  in  better  fighting  trim  than 
when  it  marched  for  Chancellorsville.  A  short  time 
before  the  army  marched,  our  regiment  was  vacci 
nated,  and  by  some  blunder  of  the  medical  director, 
the  small-pox  was  introduced,  and  there  were  several 
cases  of  this  dreaded  disease  in  its  most  violent  form. 
On  this  account,  and  to  our  great  disgust,  we  were 
detached  from  the  brigade,  and  encamped  on  what 
was  known  as  Quarantine  hill,  and  were  not  permit 
ted  to  advance  with  the  army ;  but  as  the  battle 
opened,  we  were  detailed  to  guard  a  telegraph  line 
running  from  Falinouth  to  Hooker's  headquarters — 
our  regimental  line  extending,  I  think,  from  Fal- 
mouth,  to  where  the  line  was  carried  across  the 
river — and  were  situated  in  such  a  position  that  we 
could  learn  much  of  the  situation,  although  the  col 
umns  of  troops  were  concealed  from  our  view  by  the 
forest  trees. 

Hooker's  advance  was  made  in  secrecy  and  with 
great  rapidity,  so  that  no  one  knew  where  the  blow 
was  to  fall.  For  once  the  newspaper  correspondents 
"  were  at  sea,"  and  consequently  the  papers  in  Wash 
ington  and  New  York  did  not  publish  the  coming 
campaign  in  advance,  to  the  rebels,  as  had  been  their 
custom.  Our  army  was  separated  from  the  rebels 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  87 

by  only  a  narrow  river,  and  the  movement  was  made 
so  quietly  that  they  did  not  know  we  had  broken  camp. 
A  portion  of  the  army,  under  the  command  of  Gen 
eral  Sedgwick,  moved  down  the  river,  below  the 
city,  where  the  troops  of  Franklin  had  crossed  at  the 
battle  of  Fredericksburgh,  and  there  they  successfully 
effected  a  crossing.  The  rebels  received  the  impres 
sion  that  the  whole  army  was  to  cross  below  the  city, 
and  hurried  reinforcements  there,  and  so  failed  to 
guard  the  forts  above ;  but  the  remainder  of  the  army, 
numbering  nearly  eighty  thousand  men,  were  rapidly 
marching  up  the  river,  and  crossed  the  several  fords, 
the  last  corps  having  crossed  before  the  rebels  knew 
of  our  advance.  At  five  o'clock  on  the  morning  of 
April  29th,  a  horseman  dashed  through  the  streets  of 
Fredericksburgh,  with  the  startling  information  that 
the  Union  army  had  crossed  the  river  above  the  city. 
The  bells  were  tolled,  and  great  alarm  prevailed. 
General  Hooker's  headquarters  were  at  Chancellors- 
ville,  ten  miles  from  Fredericksburgh,  and  his  line  of 
battle  was  formed  in  a  most  advantageous  position. 
The  whole  army  was  elated  with  their  remarkable 
success.  The  river  had  been  crossed  without  oppo 
sition,  they  were  intrenched  on  chosen  ground,  and 
General  Lee  must  either  fight  them  there,  or  retreat 
to  Richmond  without  a  struggle.  General  Hooker 
issued  an  address  to  his  men,  congratulating  them  on 
the  successes  they  had  so  easily  gained,  and  all  were 
happy.  But  as  these  hours  passed,  General  Lee  was 
not  inactive ;  he  had  been  surprised  and  outgeneraled 
thus  far,  but  heroically  he  worked  to  repair  the  dis 
aster.  He  had  some  advantages  yet.  He  was  fa- 


88       -  ,  ,  ,     REMINISCENCES   OP  THE   WAR. 

miliar  with  the  country  where  the  battle  was  to  be 
fought ;  he  could  move  his  troops  along  these  familiar 
roads,  and  conceal  them  in  the  forests,  until  he  had 
massed  them  in  one  place,  and  then  hurl  them  all 
upon  the  weakest  place  in  our  extended  line ;  and 
this  we  shall  soon  see  he  turned  to  a  good  account. 

Our  extreme  right  was  held  by  the  Eleventh 
corps,  composed  of  German  troops,  under  the  com 
mand  of  General  Howard.  For  several  hours  it  had 
been  apparent  at  army  headquarters,  that  the  rebels 
were  moving.  All  signs  seemed  to  indicate  that  a 
large  body  of  troops  were  moving  through  the  dense 
forest,  toward  the  right  of  the  Union  line.  Hooker 
dispatched  couriers  to  Generals  Slocum  and  Howard, 
on  the  right,  to  be  prepared  for  an  attack  on  the 
flank.  General  Sickles  was  ordered  out  with  Bir- 
ney's  division,  to  make  a  reconnoissance  in  front,  to 
ascertain  the  position  and  strength  of  the  rebels. 
Through  the  dense  wilderness  Birney's  men  gal 
lantly  advanced,  until  they  struck  the  rear  of  the 
rebel  column  that  was  massing  upon  our  right. 
From  prisoners  captured,  Sickles  learned  that  Stone 
wall  Jackson,  with  a  force  estimated  at  forty  thous 
and  men,  was  preparing  to  attack  our  right.  The 
prospect  was  encouraging.  Sickles  sent  the  infor 
mation  he  had  obtained  to  General  Hooker,  and 
asked  for  another  division  of  the  Third  corps  to  be 
sent  to  his  support,  and  he  would  fall  upon  Jack 
son's  rear,  and  thus  have  the  rebel  chieftain  between 
two  fires.  Hundreds  of  prisoners  had  already  been 
taken.  From  our  point  of  observation  we  were  dis 
cussing  the  probability  of  General  Lee  retreating  to 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  89 

Richmond,  when  a  sullen,  booming  sound  comes  from 
our  extreme  right.  Every  man  springs  to  his  feet. 
There  can  be  no  mistake.  From  far  up  in  the 
front,  where  Howard  holds  the  line,  there  comes  a 
sound  of  awful  import.  More  distinctly  we  hear  it 
now.  Cheers  and  yells  of  men  mingle  with  the 
crash  of  musketry  and  the  roar  of  artillery.  In  a 
moment  we  comprehend  it  all.  General  Lee  has 
been  massing  his  men,  and  now,  like  a  thunder 
bolt,  hurls  them  upon  our  lines.  It  is  a  fearful  mo 
ment.  The  roar  increases ;  the  yelling  of  the  charg 
ing  columns  is  drowned  in  the  awful  roar  of  the 
guns,  and  to  our  dismay  it  comes  nearer.  Our  right 
flank  is  falling  back.  The  news  soon  runs  along  our 
picket  line — "  Stonewall  Jackson  has  charged  upon 
Howard,  and  the  Germans  have  broken,  and  run 
back  to  the  river ! "  Like  all  the  movements  of  this 
famous  leader,  Jackson,  the  blow  had  fallen  like  a 
bolt  from  the  skies.  At  five  o'clock  General 
Howard  was  sitting  at  the  door  of  the  house  where 
he  had  established  his  headquarters,  and  had  heard 
the  opening  of  the  battle.  He  rushed  to  the  scene 
of  conflict,  but  only  to  find  his  men  falling  back  in 
wild  disorder.  It  was  a  terrible  moment.  Our 
flank  was  turned  and  demoralized,  and  thirty  thous 
and  rebels,  wild  with  the  excitement  of  victory, 
were  pouring  in  upon  our  flank  and  rear.  Unless 
that  awful  tide  was  checked,  we  had  lost  the  battle, 
and  an  army  with  it.  Instantly  Hooker  was  in  the 
saddle.  With  a  soldierly  instinct  he  comprehended 
the  danger,  and  understood  what  was  to  be  done. 
Jackson's  advance  must  be  checked.  A  kind  provi- 


90  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

dence  favored  us  at  that  moment.  General  Berry, 
of  Rockland,  Me.,  was  near  at  hand,  with  a  division 
of  veteran  troops.  Hooker  knew  his  man,  and 
shouted,  "  Berry,  sling  your  men  into  the  breach ; 
don't  burn  your  powder,  but  take  them  up  on  the 
bayonet !  "  At  a  double-quick,  and  with  a  line  of 
glittering  steel,  they  sprang  before  the  gray  hosts 
that  outnumbered  them  five  to  one.  The  rebels 
halted ;  they  had  encountered  a  foe  that  they  could 
not  drive,  but  Jackson  urged  them  on.  Our  artil 
lery  came  to  the  rescue,  and  poured  a  deadly  fire 
upon  the  rebels.  Sickles,  Pleasanton,  and  other 
officers,  threw  themselves  heroically  into  the  breach, 
with  what  men  they  could  muster.  Union  bravery 
was  too  much  for  rebel  strength,  and  as  the  sun 
went  down  our  men  held  the  position,  and  changed 
a  rout  to  a  victory. 

It  was  an  anxious  night  to  us,  as  we  thought  of  our 
qpmrades  and  of  the  terrible  battle  they  were  fighting. 
How  ardently  we  hoped  that  victory  would  be  theirs 
on  the  morrow.  It  was  eleven  o'clock,  a  most  beau 
tiful  evening,  the  sky  was  cloudless,  and  the  moon 
shone  down  in  its  loveliness  upon  the  hostile  forces. 
There  was  an  unbroken  quiet  all  along  the  lines,  but 
suddenly  there  was  a  fearful  roar — we  could  hear  the 
cheering  of  men,  the  rattle  of  musketry,  and  the  fear 
ful  booming  of  artillery.  "  Jackson  making  another 
charge,"  we  all  cried,  as  we  heard  the  fearful  onset, 
and  with  compressed  lips  we  waited  for  further  de 
velopments.  But  the  conflict  seemed  to  be  receding 
from  us.  It  must  have  been  our  boys  who  made  the 
charge.  Yes,  General  Ward's  brigade  had  been 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAK.  91 

massed  on  our  extreme  right,  and  had  made  this  mid 
night  charge  to  regain  the  ground  lost  by  Howard 
in  the  afternoon.  The  rebels  were  surprised  and 
unable  to  resist  the  assault,  and  fell  back.  Our 
men  rushed  on,  and  regained  the  line  of  works  from 
which  the  Eleventh  corps  had  been  driven.  Sunday 
morning  came, — a  most  beautiful  day,  designed  for 
the  worship  of  God,  but  destined  to  be  a  day  of 
bloodshed  and  death.  It  had  been  a  busy  night  with 
our  boys.  New  lines  of  defense  had  been  con 
structed,  and  the  old  ones  made  stronger.  Reynolds 
was  on  our  right,  Slocum  in  the  center,  and  Sickles 
on  the  left.  The  battle  was  opened,  about  sunrise, 
by  the  rebels  advancing  from  the  place  of  con 
cealment  where  they  had  massed  their  forces,  upon 
the  divisions  of  Sickles  and  of  Berry.  The  lurid 
flames  of  war  soon  spread  along  the  line  for  about  a 
mile,  and  in  a  most  reckless  manner  the  flower  of 
the  Southern  Infantry  charged  upon  the  Union  posi 
tion.  In  close  columns  they  plunged  from  the  woods, 
upon  the  divisions  of  Berry,  Birney,  Williams  and 
Whipple.  No  bloodier  struggle  ever  raged  on  the 
American  continent  than  where  Sickles  on  that  Sab 
bath  morning  stayed  the  tide  of  the  rebel  advance. 
His  artillery  hurled  shells,  shot,  grape  and  canister 
through  the  solid  columns  of  the  enemy.  Line  after 
line  went  down,  but  only  to  be  replaced  by  new  lines 
ever  appearing  from  the  pine  forest  beyond.  Slowly 
Sickles  was  pressed  back,  his  lines  were  in  good 
order,  and  every  inch  of  the  ground  was  disputed. 
They  reached  a  stone  wall,  and  here  a  desperate 
stand  was  made.  General  Berry  was  mortally 


92  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

wounded.  The  situation  rendered  our  men  desper 
ate,  and  the  rebels  were  repulsed;  but  once  more 
they  charged,  pulling  their  hats  down  low  over  their 
eyes,  and  with  that  well-known  peculiar  Southern 
yell  they  came.  The  ground  is  raked  by  our  artil 
lery,  and  is  soon  covered  with  their  dead.  For  four 
hours  the  rebels  breasted  that  iron  storm,  in  their 
endeavor  to  push  our  men  back  to  the  river.  At 
eleven  o'clock  we  could  tell  by  the  firing  that  our 
men  were  slowly  yielding  ground.  They  had  fallen 
•back  to  Chancellorsville,  and  here  the  battle  broke 
out  afresh.  The  old  brick  house,  which  so  many 
of  the  survivors  will  remember,  was  now  filled  with 
the  wounded.  Shells  went  tearing  through  the 
rooms,  sending  death  and  terror  among  the  bleeding 
victims  of  war.  General  Hooker,  unmoved  by  dan 
ger  and  threatening  disaster,  had  stood  upon  the 
veranda  of  this  house,  amid  the  missiles  of  death, 
and  superintended  the  movements  of  his  army.  But 
unfortunately,  in  the  early  part  of  the  day,  he  had 
been  knocked  senseless  by  a  blow  received  from  a 
falling  column,  that  had  been  hurled  from  its  posi 
tion  by  a  cannon  shot.  For  hours  the  army  was 
without  an  intelligent  head.  Sickles  pressed  and 
overpowered,  was  sending  for  reinforcements,  but 
there  was  no  one  to  order  the  movement  of  troops 
until  General  Couch  assumed  the  command.  A  huge 
shell  exploded  in  one  of  the  rooms  of  the  house,  and 
a  moment  after,  it  was  infolded  in  flames.  The  hour 
of  noon  was  passed,  and  the  rebels  made  another  des 
perate  endeavor  to  hurl  our  forces  back  into  the 
river ;  but  our  men  were  so  well  posted,  and  our  ar- 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAIL  93 

tillery  was  in  such  an  excellent  position,  that  they 
were  pushed  back  in  defeat. 

While  the  battle  had  been  raging  at  Chancellors- 
ville,  Sedgwick  had  charged  and  carried  the  heights 
at  Fredericksburgh,  but  for  some  reason  he  did  not 
press  his  attack  upon  Lee's  rear,  as  Hooker  had  de 
signed,  and  at  a  favorable  moment  Lee  turned  a 
large  portion  of  his  force  upon  Sedgwick,  and 
hurled  him  back  with  great  loss  upon  the  river, 
which  he  gladly  recrossed,  and  thus  made  his  escape. 
Our  hearts  grew  heavy  and  sad.  Monday  passed. 
There  was  heavy  skirmishing  but  no  general  engage 
ment.  Tuesday,  it  was  evident  that  our  men  were 
preparing  to  recross  the  river.  A  cold  rain  storm 
came  on,  and  through  the  darkness  and  storm,  our 
brave  men,  discouraged,  defeated  and  demoralized, 
came  back  across  the  river,  and  returned  to  their  old 
camps.  Never  since  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run 
was  the  old  army  of  the  Potomac  demoralized  as 
then.  We  had  expected  so  much  from  the  battle, 
and  it  had  ended  so  ingloriously.  We  had  one  thing 
to  encourage  us : — Stonewall  Jackson  would  never 
lead  his  men  in  another  assault  upon  our  lines.  This 
brilliant  and  daring  rebel  chieftain  was  among  the 
slain.  In  his  death,  we  felt  much  as  the  French  peo 
ple  did  after  their  naval  defeat  at  Trafalgar.  They 
could  build  another  fleet  of  vessels,  but  the  English 
could  not  produce  another  Nelson.  So  we  could 
raise  another  army,  but  the  Confederates  could  not 
have  another  Jackson. 

The  prime  cause  of  our  defeat  at  Chancellorsville 
has  always  remained  a  disputed  point.  But  it  is  evi- 


94  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

dent  that  many  things  combined  to  that  result.  The 
stampede  of  the  Eleventh  corps  was  most  disastrous, 
as  it  forced  Hooker  to  withdraw  from  his  chosen  line 
of  battle,  and  also  to  change  his  line  for  the  battle 
of  the  following  day.  The  injury  that  Hooker  re 
ceived  was  also  a  very  disastrous  feature,  as  it  de 
prived  the  army  of  its  commanding  general  just  at 
a  time  when  an  important  disposition  of  the  troops 
should  have  been  made.  General  Sedgwick's  failure 
to  obey  orders,  to  press  up  from  Fredericksburgh 
to  Chancellorsville,  was  a  grave  mistake,  as  it  ena 
bled  the  enemy  to  throw  his  whole  force  upon  a 
small  portion  of  our  army,  and  thus  defeat  them  in 
detail.  Our  troops  fought  bravely,  but  in  a  dis 
connected  mariner,  while  Lee,  by  rare  generalship, 
massed  his  troops,  and  turned  what  threatened  to  be 
a  defeat  into  a  victory.  The  heavy  rains,  and  the 
rough  usage  he  had  received,  prevented  General  Lee 
from  following  up  his  advantage,  which  was  a  fortu 
nate  thing  for  us,  as  in  our  demoralized  condition  we 
could  have  made  but  a  feeble  resistance  to  his  ad 
vance.  We  had  received  a  fearful  shock  by  this  re 
verse,  but  the  campaigns  that  followed  proved  that 
the  germs  of  heroism  still  existed  in  the  breasts  of 
the  old  army  of  the  Potomac. 

At  the  close  of  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  pub 
lic  sentiment  in  the  South  strongly  demanded  that 
General  Lee  should  no  longer  remain  upon  the  de 
fensive.  They  looked  with  hungry  eyes  upon  the 
fertile  fields  of  the  prosperous  North,  and  argued 
that  by  transferring  the  war  to  Northern  soil  they 
could  feed  their  half-starved  soldiers,  that  with 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAB.  95 

Washington  and  Baltimore  in  the  possession  of  the 
rebels,  Europe  would  demand  that  the  blockade  of 
the  Southern  ports  be  raised,  and  that  public  senti 
ment  in  the  North  would  demand  a  cessation  of  hos 
tilities,  and  thus  the  whole  situation  would  be 
changed.  General  Lee  yielded  to  the  pressure  thus 
brought  to  bear  upon  him,  and  soon  began  the  cam 
paign  that  closed  in  his  fatal  defeat  at  Gettysburgh. 
For  a  number  of  days  he  succeeded  in  concealing 
his  movements  from  General  Hooker,  but  the  latter 
was  soon  in  hot  pursuit  of  the  rebels.  Our  own 
regiment  for  several  days  performed  duty,  guarding 
the  fords  of  the  Rappahannock  river,  above  the  city 
of  Fredericksburgh,  and  then  followed  the  army  by 
the  way  of  Morristown,  Catlett's  station,  and  Ma- 
nasses  junction,  through  Leesburg,  arid  then  crossed 
the  Potomac  river  at  Edwards  Ferry.  It  was  a 
most  critical  moment  in  the  history  of  our  country. 
General  Lee,  with  a  veteran  army  of  one  hundred 
thousand  men,  flushed  with  victory,  was  on  North 
ern  soil ;  behind  him  was  a  desperate  South,  deter 
mined  to  make  his  campaign  successful.  Our  for 
eign  relations  were  in  a  very  critical  condition. 
England  and  France  were  both  in  active  sympathy 
with  the  South,  and  were  only  awaiting  a  decisive 
rebel  victory  to  acknowledge  the  Confederacy  as  a 
nation,  and  then  raise  the  blockade.  In  the  North 
public  sentiment  was  much  divided.  A  portion  of 
the  people  had  been  opposed  to  the  war  from  the  be 
ginning,  and  our  repeated  defeats  had  strengthened 
their  opposition.  Another  large  portion  was  loyal 
to  the  government,  but  severely  censured  and  criti- 


96  KEMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

cised  all  the  movements  made  to  suppress  the  rebel 
lion,  and  the  little  success  gained  by  our  troops  in 
the  field.  Of  the  remainder,  many  were  hopeful, 
but  others  were  despondent,  and  feared  that  Gen 
eral  Lee  would  be  able  to  dictate  his  own  terms  to 
the  defenders  of  the  Union.  When  Lee  crossed  the 
Potomac,  and  his  troops  overran  Maryland,  threat 
ening  Washington  and  Baltimore,  a  torrent  of  abuse 
was  poured  upon  the  army  of  the  Potomac  by  its 
Northern  critics.  Men  gathered  on  the  farms,  in 
the  stores,  and  on  the  street  corners,  and  discussed 
the  campaigns  in  Virginia.  Each  one  knew  just 
how  it  should  be  done,  and  thus,  through  those  fear 
ful  months,  a  great  many  men  helped  crush  the  rebel 
lion  by  criticising  the  army  and  evading  the  draft. 
In  newspaper  offices  and  halls  of  legislation 
enough  military  campaigns  were  planned  by  those 
who  had  never  seen  a  battalion  of  troops,  to  have 
crushed  all  the  rebellions  the  world  ever  saw,  if  one- 
half  of  them  had  been  carried  into  effect.  The 
army  of  the  Potomac  was  at  first  soundly  berated 
for  allowing  Lee  to  enter  Maryland,  but  as  his  forces 
advanced  toward  Pennsylvania,  and  the  danger  be 
came  more  apparent,  this  tone  of  abuse  was  changed, 
and  from  ministerial  studies  and  editorial  sanctums, 
there  came  the  most  frantic  appeals  to  the  army. 
These  men  felt  that  it  was  a  gross  violation  of  their 
rights  as  American  citizens  to  have  the  rebels  so 
near,  and  their  peaceful  minds  disturbed  by  scenes 
of  bloodshed  and  fears  of  personal  danger,  and  they 
called  upon  the  soldiers  to  avenge  their  sufferings 
with  Spartan-like  courage  and  sacrifice,  exhorting 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  97 

them  to  shed  their  last  drop  of  blood,  if  necessary, 
to  hurl  Lee's  forces  back  across  the  Potomac.  "  Bet 
ter  try  it  011  themselves,  and  see  how  they  like  it," 
muttered  the  boys  in  blue,  as  tired,  footsore  and 
hungry,  they  pressed  on  after  the  rebels.  "Con 
found  those  fellows,"  growled  a  sergeant  one  night, 
as  he  dropped  a  daily  Tribune  he  had  been  read 
ing,  "  I  am  tired  and  sick  of  them  kid-gloved  fel 
lows  telling  us  what  to  do,  and  eternally  finding 
fault  because  we  do  not  do  more.  I  wish  they  had 
to  try  it  themselves."  "  Yes,"  chimed  in  another, 
"  it  is  a  mighty  easy  thing  for  them  to  tell  us  to  shed 
the  last  drop  of  our  blood  in  this  glorious  cause,  but 
I  notice  the  fellers  who  make  that  kind  of  talk  never 
enlist."  "That's  so,  Bill,"  continued  a  third 
speaker,  "  and  if  they  are  drafted  they  either  have  a 
cramp  in  the  stomach,  or  an  old  mother  dependent 
upon  them  for  her  support.  I  wish  they  had  to 
face  the  music."  "  I  move  that  we  get  up  a  regi 
ment  of  Beechers  and  Greeleys,"  saj.d  another,  "  and 
arm  them  with  sixteen  shooters.  Lord,  wouldn't 
the  Johnnies  laugh  to  see  them  shoot ?"  "That's 
good,"  cried  a  little  ragged  private,  who  was  lying 
on  his  back,  with  his  bare,  blistered  feet  elevated 
over  a  knapsack,  so  that  they  would  cool  off  in  the 
evening  air,  "  and  give  them  nigger  officers.  They 
will  probably  shoot  themselves,  the  niggers,  or  the 
rebels,  and  in  either  case  it  will  be  an  almighty 
benefit  to  the  government."  A  loud  laugh  here  ran 
around  the  circle  of  soldiers,  and  three  lusty  cheers 
were  given  for  the  "  Beecher  and  Greeley  Guards." 
But  it  was  not  all  mirth  and  carelessness  within 
5 


98  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

the  ranks,  as  the  days  passed  by.  If  you  could  have 
seen  these  men  as  they  toiled  on  in  the  intense  heat, 
along  those  dusty  roads,  or  sat  with  them  around 
the  camp-fires  that  flickered  out  through  the  dark 
ness,  you  would  have  noticed  that  they  were  sober, 
candid,  intelligent,  thoughtful  men,  and  while  they 
indignantly  rejected  the  class  of  criticism  to  which 
I  have  alluded,  they  had  not  forgotten  the  anxious 
friends  at  home,  or  their  grave  responsibility  as  de 
fenders  of  the  nation's  life.  Look  for  a  moment  at 
this  little  scene  on  a  hillside  in  Maryland.  It  has 
been  a  long,  tedious  day's  march  of  thirty  miles. 
The  scanty  supper  of  hard  tack  and  coffee  has  been 
eaten.  The  thin  blankets  have  been  spread  upon 
the  hard  ground  for  the  soldiers'  bed.  They  know 
that  before  sunrise  to-morrow,  the  shrill  blasts  of  the 
bugle  will  awaken  the  echoes  upon  the  hillsides, 
calling  them  to  ufall  in"  for  another  day's  march, 
but  they  cannot  retire  yet;  they  are  thinking  of 
loved  ones  far  away.  Little  packages  are  tenderly 
taken  from  the  pocket  over  the  heart,  and  carefully 
unrolled.  Letters  from  home  received  weeks  before 
are  read  again  and  again ;  the  pictures  of  dear 
friends  are  eagerly  scanned,  until  lines  and  features 
alike  are  blurred  by  the  falling  tears ;  and  thus 
around  the  camp-fires,  amidst  these  sacred  remind 
ers,  and  beside  the  torn  and  faded  battle  flags,  reso 
lutions  were  formed  that  were  to  be  felt  upon  the 
battle-field, — resolutions  that  sealed  the  defeat  of 
General  Lee,  before  the  thunders  of  Gettysburgh  pro 
claimed  it  to  the  world.  We  had  expected  to  find 
the  States  of  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania  in  arms  to 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR.  99 

repel  the  invaders,  but  we  were  surprised  at  the  in 
difference  of  the  people.  They  gave  us  a  warm  wel 
come,  but  endeavored  to  make  money  by  selling  us 
water,  fruit,  and  provisions  at  most  exorbitant  prices. 
We  usually  purchased  their  entire  stock ;  and  as  we 
had  no  money,  told  them  to  "charge  it  to  Uncle 
Sam."  They  endeavored  to  shame  us  by  comparing 
our  conduct  to  that  of  the  rebels,  but  they  soon 
learned  that  words  had  no  effect  upon  hungry 
Yankees. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

GETTYSBURG!!. 

ON  the  28th  of  June,  General  Hooker,  at  his  own 
request,  was  relieved  of  his  command,  and  it  was 
given  to  General  Meade.  The  latter  had  been  in 
command  of  our  corps.  We  knew  him  to  be  a  brave 
and  gallant  officer,  but  feared  a  mistake  had  been 
made  in  changing  commanders  just  as  a  battle  was 
to  be  fought.  Many  rumors  came  back  to  us  from 
the  front,  and  from  these  we  learned  that  Lee's 
troops  numbered  at  least  one  hundred  thousand,  that 
he  was  concentrating  his  forces  near  Getty sburgh, 
and  that  a  desperate  battle  would  probably  be  fought 
near  that  place.  We  knew  that  the  army  of  the  Po 
tomac  did  not  number  over  eighty  thousand  men, 
that  the  authorities  of  the  states  of  Pennsylvania 
and  New  York  were  moving  so  slowly  in  raising 
troops  that  but  little  aid  would  be  received  from  them, 
and  that  unaided  we  must  cope  with  our  old  foe. 

On  the  first  day  of  July  we  crossed  the  state  line 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  noted  the  event  by  loud  cheer 
ing  and  much  enthusiasm.  And  here,  on  the  border 
of  the  state,  we  learned  that  our  cavalry  under  Gen 
eral  Buford,  and  our  old  First  corps,  under  General 
Reynolds,  had  on  that  day  encountered  the  rebels  at 
Gettysburgh,  and  that  on  the  morrow  the  great  bat 
tle  would  be  fought.  Night  came  on,  but  we  halted 


BEMINISCENCES   Otf  THE  "WAR.  101 

not.  We  knew  that  our  comrades  on  the  distant 
battle-field  needed  our  aid,  and  we  hastened  on.  It 
was  a  beautiful  evening.  The  moon  shone  from  a 
cloudless  sky,  and  flooded  our  way  with  its  glorious 
light.  The  people  rushed  from  their  homes  and 
stood  by  the  roadside  to  welcome  us,  men,  women, 
and  children  all  gazing  on  the  strange  spectacle. 
Bands  played,  the  soldiers  and  the  people  cheered, 
banners  waved,  and  white  handkerchiefs  fluttered 
from  doors  and  windows,  as  the  blue,  dusty  column 
surged  on.  That  moonlight  march  will  always  be 
remembered  by  its  survivors.  A  staff  officer  sat  on 
his  horse  by  the  roadside.  In  a  low  voice  he  spoke 
to  our  colonel  as  he  passed.  "  What  did  he  say  ?  " 
anxiously  inquired  the  men.  "  McClellan  is  to  com 
mand  us  on  the  morrow," — McClellan,  our  first  com 
mander,  who  had  been  removed,  criticised,  and  we 
thought  he  was  forgotten ;  but  our  old  love  for  him 
broke  out  afresh.  He  had  never  seemed  one-half  so 
dear  to  us  before.  Men  waved  their  hats  and 
cheered  until  they  were  hoarse  and  wild  with  excite 
ment.  It  is  strange  what  a  hold  little  Mac  had  on 
the  hearts  of  his  soldiers.  At  midnight  we  halted, 
having  marched  more  than  thirty  miles  on  that  event 
ful  day.  The  men  threw  themselves  upon  the  ground 
to  get  a  little  rest  and  sleep.  Sleep  on,  brave  fel 
lows,  for  the  morrow's  struggle  will  call  for  both 
strength  and  courage !  While  they  are  sleeping,  we 
will  step  across  the  country  for  a  few  miles  and 
view  Gettysburgh  in  the  moonlight,  that  we  may 
better  understand  the  battle-ground  of  to-morrow. 
It  has  been  a  bloody  day  around  this  little  country 


CHAPTER  VI. 

GETTYSBURG!!. 

ON  the  28th  of  June,  General  Hooker,  at  his  own 
request,  was  relieved  of  his  command,  and  it  was 
given  to  General  Meade.  The  latter  had  been  in 
command  of  our  corps.  We  knew  him  to  be  a  brave 
and  gallant  officer,  but  feared  a  mistake  had  been 
made  in  changing  commanders  just  as  a  battle  was 
to  be  fought.  Many  rumors  came  back  to  us  from 
the  front,  and  from  these  we  learned  that  Lee's 
troops  numbered  at  least  one  hundred  thousand,  that 
he  was  concentrating  his  forces  near  Getty sburgh, 
and  that  a  desperate  battle  would  probably  be  fought 
near  that  place.  We  knew  that  the  army  of  the  Po 
tomac  did  not  number  over  eighty  thousand  men, 
that  the  authorities  of  the  states  of  Pennsylvania 
and  New  York  were  moving  so  slowly  in  raising 
troops  that  but  little  aid  would  be  received  from  them, 
and  that  unaided  we  must  cope  with  our  old  foe. 

On  the  first  day  of  July  we  crossed  the  state  line 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  noted  the  event  by  loud  cheer 
ing  and  much  enthusiasm.  And  here,  on  the  border 
of  the  state,  we  learned  that  our  cavalry  under  Gen 
eral  Buford,  and  our  old  First  corps,  under  General 
Reynolds,  had  on  that  day  encountered  the  rebels  at 
Gettysburgh,  and  that  on  the  morrow  the  great  bat 
tle  would  be  fought.  Night  came  on,  but  we  halted 


BEMINISCENCES   Otf  THE  "WAB.  101 

not.  We  knew  that  our  comrades  on  the  distant 
battle-field  needed  our  aid,  and  we  hastened  on.  It 
was  a  beautiful  evening.  The  moon  shone  from  a 
cloudless  sky,  and  flooded  our  way  with  its  glorious 
light.  The  people  rushed  from  their  homes  and 
stood  by  the  roadside  to  welcome  us,  men,  women, 
and  children  all  gazing  on  the  strange  spectacle. 
Bands  played,  the  soldiers  and  the  people  cheered, 
banners  waved,  and  white  handkerchiefs  fluttered 
from  doors  and  windows,  as  the  blue,  dusty  column 
surged  on.  That  moonlight  march  will  always  be 
remembered  by  its  survivors.  A  staff  officer  sat  on 
his  horse  by  the  roadside.  In  a  low  voice  he  spoke 
to  our  colonel  as  he  passed.  "  What  did  he  say  ?  " 
anxiously  inquired  the  men.  "  McClellan  is  to  com 
mand  us  on  the  morrow," — McClellan,  our  first  com 
mander,  who  had  been  removed,  criticised,  and  we 
thought  he  was  forgotten ;  but  our  old  love  for  him 
broke  out  afresh.  He  had  never  seemed  one-half  so 
dear  to  us  before.  Men  waved  their  hats  and 
cheered  until  they  were  hoarse  and  wild  with  excite 
ment.  It  is  strange  what  a  hold  little  Mac  had  on 
the  hearts  of  his  soldiers.  At  midnight  we  halted, 
having  marched  more  than  thirty  miles  on  that  event 
ful  day.  The  men  threw  themselves  upon  the  ground 
to  get  a  little  rest  and  sleep.  Sleep  on,  brave  fel 
lows,  for  the  morrow's  struggle  will  call  for  both 
strength  and  courage !  While  they  are  sleeping,  we 
will  step  across  the  country  for  a  few  miles  and 
view  Gettysburgh  in  the  moonlight,  that  we  may 
better  understand  the  battle-ground  of  to-morrow. 
It  has  been  a  bloody  day  around  this  little  country 


104  REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    WAR. 

If  General  Lee  had  pushed  on  his  forces,  and  fol 
lowed  up  his  advantage  gained  in  the  afternoon,  he 
would  have  been  master  of  the  situation,  but  this 
delay  was  fatal  to  him.  The  Union  line  is  formed, 
the  artillery  is  in  position.  The  rebels  outnumber 
us  both  in  men  and  guns,  but  we  have  the  ridge,  and 
are  on  the  defensive.  The  tired  men  sink  upon  the 
ground  to  catch  a  few  moments'  sleep  before  the 
battle  opens.  All  is  still  in  Gettysburg!!  save  the 
groans  of  the  wounded  and  dying.  It  is  an  anxious 
night  throughout  the  great  loyal  North.  Telegrams 
have  been  flashing  all  over  the  country,  bearing  the 
sad  tidings  of  the  death  of  Reynolds  and  the  repulse 
of  his  troops.  Every  one  knows  that  this  battle  is 
to  decide,  to  a  large  extent,  the  fortunes  of  war. 
There  is  no  sleep  for  the  people.  Strong  men  are 
pale  with  excitement  and  anxiety,  as  through  the 
hours  of  night  they  talk  of  the  coining  conflict ; 
Christians  gather  in  their  sanctuaries  to  pray  that 
success  may  be  ours  on  the  morrow ;  mothers,  wives 
and  sisters,  with  pale,  upturned  faces,  pray  to  God 
to  protect  their  loved  ones  in  the  dangers  of  the 
battle.  It  is  the  most  anxious  night  through  which 
America  ever  passed.  God  grant  that  we  shall 
never  pass  through  another  like  it ! 

At  daylight,  on  the  morning  of  July  2d,  we  re 
sumed  our  march,  and  in  a  few  hours  halted  within 
supporting  distance  of  the  left  flank  of  our  army, 
about  a  mile  to  the  right  of  Little  Round  Top. 
The  long  forenoon  passed  away,  and  to  our  surprise 
the  enemy  made  no  attack.  This  was  very  fortu 
nate  for  our  army,  as  it  enabled  our  men  to 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAB.  105 

strengthen  our  lines  of  fortifications,  and  also  to 
obtain  a  little  rest,  of  which  they  were  in  great 
need.  The  rebels  were  also  engaged  in  throwing  up 
rude  lines  of  defenses,  hurrying  up  reinforcements, 
and  in  discussing  the  line  of  action  they  should  pur 
sue,  for,  to  use  General  Lee's  own  words  in  his  re 
port  of  the  battle,  they  "  unexpectedly  found  them 
selves  confronted  by  the  Federal  army." 

The  hour  of  noon  passed,  and  the  sun  had  meas 
ured  nearly  one-half  the  distance  across  the  western 
sky,  before  the  assault  was  made.  Then,  as  suddenly 
as  a  bolt  of  fire  flies  from  the  storm  cloud,  a  hundred 
pieces  of  rebel  artillery  open  upon  our  left  flank, 
and  under  the  thick  canopy  of  screaming,  hissing, 
bursting  shells,  Longstreet's  corps  was  hurled  upon 
the  troops  of  General  Sickles.  Instantly  our  com 
manders  discerned  the  intention  of  General  Lee.  It 
was  to  turn  and  crush  our  left  flank,  as  he  had  crushed 
our  right  at  Chancellorsville.  It  was  a  terrible  on 
slaught.  The  brave  sons  of  the  South  never  dis 
played  more  gallant  courage  than  on  that  fatal  after 
noon  of  July  2d.  But  brave  Dan  Sickles  and  the 
old  Third  corps  were  equal  to  the  emergency,  and 
stood  as  immovable  against  the  surging  tides  as 
blocks  of  granite.  But  a  new  and  appalling  danger 
suddenly  threatened  the  Union  army.  Little  Round 
Top  was  the  key  to  the  entire  position.  Rebel  bat 
teries  planted  on  that  rocky  bluff  could  shell  any 
portion  of  our  line  at  their  pleasure.  For  some  rea 
son  Sickles  had  riot  placed  any  infantry  upon  this 
important  position.  A  few  batteries  were  scattered 
along  its  ragged  side,  but  they  had  no  infantry  sup- 
5* 


106  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

port.  Lee  saw  at  a  glance  that  Little  Round  Top 
was  the  prize  for  which  the  two  armies  were  con 
tending,  and  with  skillful  audacity  he  determined  to 
wrest  it  from  his  opponent.  While  the  terrible 
charge  was  being  made  upon  the  line  of  General 
Sickles,  Longstreet  threw  out  a  whole  division,  by 
extending  his  line  to  his  right,  for  the  purpose  of 
seizing  the  coveted  prize.  The  danger  was  at  once 
seen  by  our  officers,  and  our  brigade  was  ordered 
forward,  to  hold  the  hill  against  the  assault  of  the 
enemy.  In  a  moment  all  was  excitement.  Every 
soldier  seemed  to  understand  the  situation,  and  to 
be  inspired  by  its  danger.  "  Fall  in !  Fall  in ! 
By  the  right  flank  !  Double-quick  !  March !  "  and 
away  we  went,  under  the  terrible  artillery  fire. 
It  was  a  moment  of  thrilling  interest.  Shells  were 
exploding  on  every  side.  Sickles'  corps  was  envel 
oped  in  sheets  of  flame,  and  looked  like  a  vast  wind- 
row  of  fire.  But  so  intense  was  the  excitement  that 
we  hardly  noticed  these  surroundings.  Up  the  steep 
hillside  we  ran,  and  reached  the  crest.  "On  the 
right  by  file  into  line,"  was  the  command,  and  our 
regiment  had  assumed  the  position  to  which  it  had 
been  assigned.  We  were  on  the  left  of  our  brigade, 
and  consequently  on  the  extreme  left  of  all  our  line 
of  battle.  The  ground  sloped  to  our  front  and  left, 
and  was  sparsely  covered  with  a  growth  of  oak 
trees,  which  were  too  small  to  afford  us  any  protec 
tion.  Shells  were  crashing  through  the  air  above 
our  heads,  making  so  much  noise  that  we  could 
hardly  hear  the  commands  of  our  officers ;  the  air 
was  filled  with  fragments  of  exploding  shells  and 


REMINISCENCES  OF  THE  WAR.  107 

splinters  torn  from  mangled  trees ;  but  our  men  ap 
peared  to  be  as  cool  and  deliberate  in  their  move 
ments  as  if  they  had  been  forming  a  line  upon  the 
parade  ground  in  camp.  "Our  regiment  mustered 
about  three  hundred  and  fifty  men.  Company  B, 
from  Piscataquis  county,  commanded  by  the  gallant 
Captain  Morrill,  was  ordered  to  deploy  in  our  front 
as  skirmishers.  They  boldly  advanced  down  the 
slope  and  disappeared  from  our  view.  Ten  minutes 
have  passed  since  we  formed  the  line ;  the  skir 
mishers  must  have  advanced  some  thirty  or  forty 
rods  through  the  rocks  and  trees,  but  we  have  seen 
no  indications  of  the  enemy ;  "But  look !  "  "  Look ! " 
"  Look!  "  exclaimed  half  a  hundred  men  in  our  regi 
ment  at  the  same  moment;  and  no  wonder,  for 
right  in  our  front,  between  us  and  our  skirmishers, 
whoin  they  have  probably  captured,  we  see  the  lines 
of  the  enemy.  They  have  paid  no  attention  to  the 
rest  of  the  brigade  stationed  on  our  right,  but  they 
are  rushing  on,  determined  to  turn  and  crush  the 
left  of  our  line.  Colonel  Chamberlain  with  rare 
sagacity  understood  the  movement  they  were  mak 
ing,  and  bent  back  the  left  flank  of  our  regiment 
until  the.  line  formed  almost  a  right  angle  with  the 
colors  at  the  point,  all  these  movements  requiring  a 
much  less  space  of  time  than  it  requires  for  me  to 
write  of  them. 

•How  can  I  describe  the  scenes  that  followed? 
Imagine,  if  you  can,  nine  small  companies  of  infantry, 
numbering  perhaps  three  hundred  men,  in  the  form 
of  a  right  angle,  on  the  extreme  flank  of  an  army  of 
eighty  thousand  men,  put  there  to  hold  the  key  of 


108  KEMINTSCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

the  entire  position  against  a  force  at  least  ten  times 
their  number,  and  who  are  desperately  determined 
to  succeed  in  the  mission  upon  which  they  came. 
Stand  firm,  ye  boys  from  Maine,  for  not  once  in  a 
century  are  men  permitted  to  bear  such  responsibil 
ities  for  freedom  and  justice,  for  God  and  humanity, 
as  are  now  placed  upon  you. 

The  conflict  opens.  I  know  not  who  gave  the 
first  fire,  or  which  line  received  the  first  lead.  I 
only  know  that  the  carnage  began.  Our  regiment 
was  mantled  in  fire  and  smoke.  I  wish  that  I  could 
picture  with  my  pen  the  awful  details  of  that  hour, — 
how  rapidly  the  cartridges  were  torn  from  the  boxes 
and  stuffed  in  the  smoking  muzzles  of  the  guns ; 
how  the  steel  rammers  clashed  and  clanged  in  the 
heated  barrels;  how  the  men's  hands  and  faces 
grew  grim  and  black  with  burning  powder ;  how 
our  little  line,  baptized  with  fire,  reeled  to  and  fro  as 
it  advanced  or  was  pressed  back ;  how  our  officers 
bravely  encouraged  the  men  to  hold  on  arid  reck 
lessly  exposed  themselves  to  the  enemy's  fire, — a 
terrible  medley  of  cries,  shouts,  cheers,  groans, 
prayers,  curses,  bursting  shells,  whizzing  rifle  bullets 
and  clanging  steel.  And  if  that  was  all,  -my  heart 
would  not  be  so  sad  and  heavy  as  I  write.  But  the 
enemy  was  pouring  a  terrible  fire  upon  us,  his  supe 
rior  forces  giving  him  a  great  advantage.  Ten  to 
one  are  fearful  odds  where  men  are  contending 
for  so  great  a  prize.  The  air  seemed  to  be  alive 
with  lead.  The  lines  at  times  were  so  near  each 
other  that  the  hostile  gun  barrels  almost  touched. 
As  the  contest  continued,  the  rebels  grew  des- 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAK.  109 

perate  that  so  insignificant  a  force  should  so  long 
hold  them  in  check.  At  one  time  there  was  a  brief 
lull  in  the  carnage,  and  our  shattered  line  was  closed 
up,  but  soon  the  contest  raged  again  with  renewed 
fierceness.  The  rebels  had  been  reinforced,  and  were 
now  determined  to  sweep  our  regiment  from  the 
crest  of  Little  Round  Top. 

Many  of  our  companies  have  suffered  fearfully. 
Look  at  Company  H  for  a  moment.  Charley,  my 
old  tent-mate,  with  a  fatal  wound  in  his  breast,  stag 
gered  up  to  brave  Captain  Land.  "  My  God,  Ser 
geant  Steele ! "  ejaculated  the  agonized  captain  as 
he  saw  the  fate  of  his  beloved  sergeant.  "  I  am  go 
ing,  Captain,"  cried  the  noble  fellow,  and  fell  dead, 
weltering  in  his  blood.  Sergeant  Lathrop,  with  his 
brave  heart  and  gigantic  frame,  fell  dying  with  a 
frightful  wound.  Sergeant  Buck,  reduced  to  the 
ranks  at  Stoneman's  Switch,  lay  down  to  die,  and 
was  promoted  as  his  life  blood  ebbed  away.  Adams, 
Ireland,  and  Lamson,  all  heroes,  are  lying  dead 
at  the  feet  of  their  comrades.  Libby,  French,  Clif 
ford,  Hilt,  Ham,  Chesly,  Morrison,  West,  and 
Walker  are  all  severely  wounded,  and  nearly  all  dis 
abled.  But  there  is  no  relief,  and  the  carnage  goes 
on.  Our  line  is  pressed  back  so  far  that  our  dead 
are  within  the  lines  of  the  enemy.  The  pressure 
made  by  the  superior  weight  of  the  enemy's  line  is 
Severely  felt.  Our  ammunition  is  nearly  all  gone, 
and  we  are  using  the  cartridges  from  the  boxes  of 
our  wo  unded  comrades.  A  critical  moment  has  ar 
rived,  and  we  can  remain  as  we  are  no  longer ;  we 
must  advance  or  retreat.  It  must  not  be  the  latter, 


110  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAR. 

but  how  can  it  be  the  former  ?  Colonel  Chamber 
lain  understands  how  it  can  be  done.  The  order  is 
given  "  Fix  bayonets  !  "  and  the  steel  shanks  of  the 
bayonets  rattle  upon  the  rifle  barrels.  "  Charge  bay 
onets,  charge ! "  Every  man.  understood  in  a  mo 
ment  that  the  movement  was  our  only  salvation,  but 
there  is  a  limit  to  human  endurance,  and  I  do 
not  dishonor  those  brave  men  when  I  write  that 
for  a  brief  moment  the  order  was  not  obeyed,  and 
the  little  line  seemed  to  quail  under  the  fearful  fire 
that  was  being  poured  upon  it.  O  for  some  man 
reckless  of  life,  and  all  else  save  his  country's  honor 
and  safety,  who  would  rush  far  out  to  the  front,  lead 
the  way,  and  inspire  the  hearts  of  his  exhausted 
comrades !  In  that  moment  of  supreme  need  the 
want  was  supplied.  Lieut.  H.  S.  Melcher,  an  officer 
who  had  worked  his  way  up  from  the  ranks,  and 
was  then  in  command  of  Co.  F,  at  that  time  the 
color  company,  saw  the  situation,  and  did  not  hesi 
tate,  and  for  his  gallant  act  deserves  as  much  as  any 
other  man  the  honor  of  the  victory  on  Round  Top. 
With  a  cheer,  and  a  flash  of  his  sword,  that  sent  an 
inspiration  along  the  line,  full  ten  paces  to  the  front 
he  sprang — ten  paces — more  than  half  the  distance 
between  the  hostile  lines.  "  Come  on !  Come  on ! 
Come  on,  boys ! "  he  shouts.  The  color  sergeant 
and  the  brave  color  guard  follow,  and  with  one  wild 
yell  of  anguish  wrung  from  its  tortured  heart,  the 
regiment  charged. 

The  rebels  were  confounded  at  the  movement. 
We  struck  them  with  a  fearful  shock.  They  recoil, 
stagger,  break  and  run,  and  like  avenging  demons 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAR.  Ill 

our  men  pursue.  The  rebels  rush  toward  a  stone 
wall,  but,  to  our  mutual  surprise,  two  scores  of  rifle 
barrels  gleam  over  the  rocks,  and  a  murderous  vol 
ley  was  poured  in  upon  them  at  close  quarters.  A 
band  of  men  leap  over  the  wall  and  capture  at  least 
a  hundred  prisoners.  Piscataquis  has  been  heard 
from,  and  as  usual  it  was  a  good  report.  This  un 
looked-for  reinforcement  was  Company  B,  whom  we 
supposed  were  all  captured. 

Our  Colonel's  commands  were  simply  to  hold  the 
hill,  and  we  did  not  follow  the  retreating  rebels  but 
a  short  distance.  After  dark  an  order  came  to  ad 
vance  and  capture  a  hill  in  our  front.  Through  the 
trees,  among  the  rocks,  up  the  steep  hillside,  we 
made  our  way,  captured  the  position,  and  also  a 
number  of  prisoners. 

On  the  morning  of  July  3d  we  were  relieved  by 
the  Pennsylvania  reserves,  and  went  back  to  the 
rear.  Of  our  three  hundred  and  fifty  men,  one  hun 
dred  and  thirty-five  had  been  killed  and  wounded. 
We  captured  over  three  hundred  prisoners,  and  a 
detachment  sent  out  to  bury  the  dead  found  fifty 
dead  rebels  upon  the  ground  where  we  had  fought. 
Our  regiment  had  won  imperishable  honor,  and  our 
gallant  Colonel  was  to  be  known  in  history  as  the 
hero  of  "Little  Round  Top."  We  cared  for  our 
wounded  as  well  as  we  could,  although  there  was  but 
little  we  could  do  for  them.  Our  dead  were  buried, 
and  their  graves  were  marked  by  the  loving  hands 
of  their  comrades.  I  suppose  that  their  remains  have 
since  been  removed  to  the  National  Cemetery  at 
Gettysburgh,  but  somehow  I  wish  they  had  been 


110  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAE. 

but  how  can  it  be  the  former?  Colonel  Chamber 
lain  understands  how  it  can  be  done.  The  order  is 
given  "  Fix  bayonets  !  "  and  the  steel  shanks  of  the 
bayonets  rattle  upon  the  rifle  barrels.  "  Charge  bay 
onets,  charge ! "  Every  man  understood  in  a  mo 
ment  that  the  movement  was  our  only  salvation,  but 
there  is  a  limit  to  human  endurance,  and  I  do 
not  dishonor  those  brave  men  when  I  write  that 
for  a  brief  moment  the  order  was  not  obeyed,  and 
the  little  line  seemed  to  quail  under  the  fearful  fire 
that  was  being  poured  upon  it.  O  for  some  man 
reckless  of  life,  and  all  else  save  his  country's  honor 
and  safety,  who  would  rush  far  out  to  the  front,  lead 
the  way,  and  inspire  the  hearts  of  his  exhausted 
comrades !  In  that  moment  of  supreme  need  the 
want  was  supplied.  Lieut.  H.  S.  Melcher,  an  officer 
who  had  worked  his  way  up  from  the  ranks,  and 
was  then  in  command  of  Co.  F,  at  that  time  the 
color  company,  saw  the  situation,  and  did  not  hesi 
tate,  and  for  his  gallant  act  deserves  as  much  as  any 
other  man  the  honor  of  the  victory  on  Round  Top. 
With  a  cheer,  and  a  flash  of  his  sword,  that  sent  an 
inspiration  along  the  line,  full  ten  paces  to  the  front 
he  sprang — ten  paces — more  than  half  the  distance 
between  the  hostile  lines.  "  Come  on !  Come  on ! 
Come  on,  boys ! "  he  shouts.  The  color  sergeant 
and  the  brave  color  guard  follow,  and  with  one  wild 
yell  of  anguish  wrung  from  its  tortured  heart,  the 
regiment  charged. 

The  rebels  were  confounded  at  the  movement. 
We  struck  them  with  a  fearful  shock.  They  recoil, 
stagger,  break  and  run,  and  like  avenging  demons 


KEMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  Ill 

our  men  pursue.  The  rebels  rush  toward  a  stone 
wall,  but,  to  our  mutual  surprise,  two  scores  of  rifle 
barrels  gleam  over  the  rocks,  and  a  murderous  vol 
ley  was  poured  in  upon  them  at  close  quarters.  A 
band  of  men  leap  over  the  wall  and  capture  at  least 
a  hundred  prisoners.  Piscataquis  has  been  heard 
from,  and  as  usual  it  was  a  good  report.  This  un 
looked-for  reinforcement  was  Company  B,  whom  we 
supposed  were  all  captured. 

Our  Colonel's  commands  were  simply  to  hold  the 
hill,  and  we  did  not  follow  the  retreating  rebels  but 
a  short  distance.  After  dark  an  order  came  to  ad 
vance  and  capture  a  hill  in  our  front.  Through  the 
trees,  among  the  rocks,  up  the  steep  hillside,  we 
made  our  way,  captured  the  position,  and  also  a 
number  of  prisoners. 

On  the  morning  of  July  3d  we  were  relieved  by 
the  Pennsylvania  reserves,  and  went  back  to  the 
rear.  Of  our  three  hundred  and  fifty  men,  one  hun 
dred  and  thirty-five  had  been  killed  and  wounded. 
We  captured  over  three  hundred  prisoners,  and  a 
detachment  sent  out  to  bury  the  dead  found  fifty 
dead  rebels  upon  the  ground  where  we  had  fought. 
Our  regiment  had  won  imperishable  honor,  and  our 
gallant  Colonel  was  to  be  known  in  history  as  the 
hero  of  "Little  Round  Top."  We  cared  for  our 
wounded  as  well  as  we  could,  although  there  was  but 
little  we  could  do  for  them.  Our  dead  were  buried, 
and  their  graves  were  marked  by  the  loving  hands 
of  their  comrades.  I  suppose  that  their  remains  have 
since  been  removed  to  the  National  Cemetery  at 
Gettysburgh,  but  somehow  I  wish  they  had  been 


112  REMINISCENCES   OP   THE   WAE. 

left  where  they  fell,  on  the  rugged  brow  of  Round 
Top,  amid  the  battle-scarred  rocks  which  they  bap 
tized  with  their  blood  as  they  died. 

While  the  desperate  encounter  was  taking  place 
on  Little  Round  Top,  the  fearful  conflict  continued 
to  rage  in  front  of  Sickles'  command,  and  when 
Longstreet's  bleeding  brigades  fell  back  in  defeat,  it 
was  not  because  they  had  not  fought  bravely,  but 
because  it  was  impossible  to  push  back  our  line  of 
battle.  It  was  a  fearful  blow  to  the  fortunes  of  the 
Confederacy  when  Longstreet  was  repulsed  on  that 
eventful  afternoon.  But  important  events  were 
about  to  transpire  on  our  right.  General  Ewell  had 
been  massing  his  troops  through  the  afternoon,  and 
swore  with  a  fearful  oath  that  he  would  take  and 
hold  the  positions  occupied  by  Howard  and  Slocum, 
or  he  would  die  in  the  attempt.  Just  as  the  sun  was 
sinking  from  view,  the  storm  burst  upon  our  lines. 
General  Howard,  with  an  empty  sleeve  pinned  to 
his  shoulder,  stood  calm  and  erect  amid  the  bursting 
shells.  That  Christian  gentleman,  while  scorning  to 
exhibit  the  profane  and  reckless  deportment  of  some 
of  his  brother  officers,  was  nevertheless  as  heroic  an 
officer  as  ever  served  in  the  army  of  the  Potomac. 
An  eye  witness  on  this  occasion  testifies  that,  while 
the  shells  were  falling  and  bursting  on  every  side  of 
him,  he  stood  leaning  against  a  tombstone,  survey 
ing  the  movements  of  the  enemy  with  his  field-glass, 
and  that  his  countenance  was  as  unmoved  as  the 
marble  upon  which  he  leaned  for  support.  His  men 
(the  Eleventh  corps)  remembered  the  surprise  at 
Chancellorsville,  and  were  anxious  to  meet  the  enemy, 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  113 

to  regain  the  prestige  that  they  felt  they  had  lost. 
Under  the  terrible  fire  of  artillery  and  musketry,  the 
Southern  infantry  charged  in  a  simultaneous  attack 
upon  the  central  position  of  Howard,  and  the  long 
line  of  defenses  held  by  the  soldiers  of  the  First  and 
Twelfth  corps.  Howard's  artillery  opened  to  re 
ceive  them,  and  fired  with  such  rapidity  that  the 
men  were  obliged  to  wait  for  the  guns  to  cool.  The 
infantry  poured  volley  after  volley  upon  the  South 
ern  columns ;  but  in  defiance  of  all  this  opposition 
the  gallant  Southerners  swept  across  those  fields 
covered  with  the  dead,  and  like  a  ragged  ocean  wave 
broken  and  lashed  by  the  fury  of  the  gale,  reached 
the  breastworks  of  General  Howard.  General  Bar 
low's  division,  commanded  by  General  Ames  (for 
merly  colonel  of  the  Twentieth  Maine  Regiment), 
nobly  breasted  the  avalanche  that  poured  upon  them, 
but  they  were  pressed  back,  two  batteries  having  been 
already  captured  by  the  rebels.  But  at  this  critical 
moment,  the  guns  of  Stevens'  Fifth  Maine  Battery 
were  brought  to  bear  upon  the  assaulting  column 
with  double-shotted  canister.  Reinforcements  arrive. 
General  Ames  rallies  his  shattered  line,  and  gallantly 
leads  them  upon  the  foe.  The  Louisiana  Tigers 
swarmed  upon  the  muzzles  of  his  guns.  It  was 
now  a  hand  to  hand  conflict — clubbed  rifles,  bay 
onet  thrusts,  saber  strokes,  stones,  clubs,  and  what 
ever  came  to  hand.  The  struggle  was  brief, 
bloody  and  desperate.  Many  rebels  were  captured, 
and  the  remainder,  but  a  feeble  remnant  of  that  gal 
lant  corps,  went  rushing  wildly  back  over  that  field 
of  carnage  and  defeat.  A  wild  cheer  went  up  from 


114  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

the  victors.  Chancellorsville  has  been  redeemed, 
and  the  gallant  German  troops  once  more  have  a 
record  of  which  they  may  well  be  proud. 

The  attack  made  upon  the  Twelfth  corps  had  met 
with  a  slight  success.  Only  one  brigade  had  been 
left  to  guard  a  long  line  of  rifle-pits,  the  remainder 
of  the  troops  having  been  sent  to  reinforce  the  cen 
ter.  The  charging  columns  of  Ewell  swept  over 
this  feeble  line,  and  as  darkness  came  on,  he  held  a 
portion  of  the  Union  rifle-pits,  which  perhaps  would 
be  the  key  to  a  rebel  victory  on  the  morrow. 

That  was  a  memorable  night  at  Gettysburgh. 
Mingled  sadness  and  joy  filled  the  hearts  of  the  Un 
ion  soldiers, — sadness  on  account  of  the  loss  of  so 
many  of  our  noble  comrades,  joy  that  it  had  been 
a  day  o*f  decided  success  to  the  Union  army.  The 
people  around  Gettysburgh  endeavored  in  vain  to 
learn  from  the  Confederates  what  the  result  of  the 
day's  conflict  had  been,  but,  although  the  rebels  were 
not  disposed  to  talk,  they  could  easily  detect  disap 
pointment  and  defeat  written  upon  their  faces.  It 
was  a  gloomy  night  in  the  rebel  camp.  The  Confed 
erate  leaders  were  now  fully  convinced  that  the  old 
army  of  the  Potomac  had  overtaken  them,  and  that 
their  chances  for  success  were  nearly  hopeless.  In 
their  council  of  war  some  even  proposed  that  they 
should  retreat  that  night.  But  there  was  too  much 
at  stake  for  that.  A  retreat  from  Gettysburgh 
would  discourage  the  South,  and  destroy  all  hopes  of 
intervention  on  the  part  of  European  nations.  In 
fact,  retreat  would  be  almost  as  bad  as  death.  And 
then  Ewell,  on  the  rebel  left,  had  gained  a  slight 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  115 

advantage;  and  if  he  was  heavily  reinforced  by  a 
desperate  advance  in  the  early  morning,  they  might 
regain  all  they  had  lost,  and  drive  the  Union  army 
from  its  position.  Accordingly  General  Rhodes'  di 
vision  was  pushed  up  to  reinforce  Ewell,  and  other 
troops  were  concentrated  near  that  point  in  the  line 
to  assist  in  the  contemplated  assault. 

The  rank  and  file  of  the  rebel  army  were  evidently 
discouraged  and  much  demoralized,  but  their  officers 
assured  them  of  an  easy  victory  on  the  morrow.  They 
were  told  that  the  Union  line  was  made  up  of  raw 
brigades,  which  were  already  terrified  by  the  slaugh 
ter,  and  that  they  could  easily  be  crushed  before  the 
main  portion  of  the  army  of  the  Potomac  could  arrive. 

Troops  were  also  being  moved  within  the  lines  of 
General  Meade.  The  Twelfth  corps  was  moved  back 
to  our  right,  and  was  also  reinforced  by  two  brigades 
from  the  Sixth.  At  daylight  these  troops  advanced 
upon  Ewell  and  Rhodes,  to  regain  their  lost  rifle-pits. 
The  conflict  was  sharp  and  bloody.  The  artillery 
crashed  and  roared.  Inch  by  inch  our  men  advanced 
and  pressed  the  rebels  back  at  the  point  of  the  bayo 
net,  and  before  eleven  o'clock  the  rebels  were  dis 
lodged  and  driven  back  in  defeat.  A  cheer  loud  and 
joyous  rolled  along  the  Union  line  when  it  became 
apparent  that  the  enemy  had  lost  the  only  advantage 
gained  in  yesterday's  battle.  From  eleven  until  half- 
past  one  all  is  quiet.  Scarcely  a  shot  is  fired.  Noth 
ing  is  heard  save  the  groans  of  the  wounded  and  the 
low  conversation  of  the  men.  We  wondered  at  the 
meaning  of  that  silence.  Had  Lee  given  up  and  was 
he  to  confess  his  defeat  by  a  hasty  flight  ?  Or  was  it 


116  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR. 

the  momentary  calm  that  usually  precedes  the  burst 
ing  forth  of  the  storm  ? 

General  Lee  climbed  to  the  cupola  of  the  college 
building  and  there  surveyed  the  field  of  death.  He 
evidently  became  convinced  that  it  would  be  useless 
for  him  to  endeavor  to  gain  any  advantage  on  his  left, 
where  Ewell  and  Rhodes  had  just  been  thrown  back 
with  such  fearful  slaughter.  He  resolved  to  make 
one  more  desperate  attempt  to  break  the  Union  lines, 
and  that  the  charge  should  be  made  upon  Meade's  left 
center — upon  the  troops  of  Hancock  and  Howard. 
It  was  a  most  desperate  undertaking,  and  it  speaks 
volumes  for  Southern  chivalry  and  courage  that 
they  had  officers  and  men  to  plan  so  brilliant  a 
charge  and  to  carry  it  into  effect.  At  half-past  one 
o'clock  one  hundred  and  fifty  pieces  of  rebel  artillery 
opened  on  the  Union  lines.  It  was  the  most  terrific 
cannonade  that  ever  shook  the  continent.  Bursting 
shells  fell  everywhere.  They  dropped  down  by 
scores  around  the  little  farm-house  where  General 
Meade  had  his  headquarters.  Wounded  men  far  in 
rear  of  the  line  of  battle,  lying  weak  and  bleed 
ing  upon  the  ground,  were  torn  in  atoms  by  the 
bursting  shells.  It  was  a  scene  that  cannot  be  pict 
ured  and  will  never  be  forgotten  by  those  who  saw  it. 
One  writer  in  speaking  of  it  uses  the  following  lan 
guage  :  "  The  air  was  alive  with  all  mysterious  sounds, 
and  death  in  every  one  of  them.  There  were'  muf 
fled  howls  that  seemed  in  rage  because  their  missiles 
missed  you,  the  angry  buzz  of  the  familiar  minie, 
the  spit  of  the  common  musket  ball,  hisses,  and  the 
great  whirring  rushes  of  shells.  And  then  came 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE    WAR.  117 

others  which  made  the  air  instinct  with  warning  or 
quickened  it  with  vivid  alarm — long  wails  that  fate- 
fully  bemoaned  the  death  they  wrought,  fluttering 
screams  that  filled  the  whole  space  with  their  horror, 
and  encompassed  one  about  as  a  garment,  cries  that 
ran  the  diapason  of  terror  and  despair." 

Our  generals  understood  the  importance  of  that 
terrible  storm.  Every  cannon  on  Cemetery  Ridge, 
from  the  center  to  right  and  left,  was  pointed  into 
the  valley  through  which  the  charging  columns  must 
come.  Not  one  of  them  replied  to  the  rebel  shots, 
but  each  one  was  crammed  to  the  muzzle  with  fire 
and  death.  Woe  to  the  brave  men  who  provoke 
their  fire !  Yelling  like  incarnate  demons  the  rebels 
charge — six  gigantic  brigades — the  flower  of  the 
Confederacy — the  old  imperial  guard  of  Lee's  army. 
Their  courage  was  worthy  a  nobler  cause  and  deserved 
a  better  fate.  They  rushed  down  Seminary  Ridge,  and 
were  coming  across  the  plain  that  intervenes  between 
the  two  ridges.  The  rebel  artillery — one  hundred  and 
fifty  guns — were  pouring  their  terrible  fire  above  the 
charging  columns,  and  pounding  our  line  of  battle 
with  terrible  vengeance,  but  not  a  Union  gun  replied. 
The  enemy  evidently  concluded  that  our  guns  had 
been  silenced  by  their  terrific  cannonade,  and  with 
renewed  courage  rushed  on  to  dislodge  the  supposed 
Yankee  militia  from  their  rifle-pits.  It  was  a  grand 
spectacle,  that  long  line  of  gray  clad  soldiers  in  a 
semi-circular  form,  charging  under  the  crashing  shells 
of  their  own  comrades,  upon  a  line  of  breastworks 
that  appeared  to  be  only  tenanted  by  the  dead.  They 
are  so  near  that  you.  can  almost  toss  a  biscuit  within 


CHAPTER  VII. 

FEOM   GETTYSBTJKGH   TO   BAPPAHANNOCK    STATION. 

ON  the  fifth  of  July  the  army  of  the  Potomac 
turned  from  the  battle-field  of  Gettysburgh,  upon 
which  they  left  sixteen  thousand  of  their  comrades 
killed  and  wounded,  and  began  the  pursuit  of  Gen 
eral  Lee.  The  pursuit  had  been  delayed  too  long, 
for  it  had  given  the  rebel  chieftain  twenty-four  hours' 
advantage.  General  Lee  had  left  his  dead  unburied, 
and  his  wounded  uncared  for,  and  with  his  defeated 
army  was  making  forced  marches  to  endeavor  to 
recross  the  Potomac  river  before  our  army  could 
overtake  him.  On  every  hand  there  were  indica 
tions  of  the  defeat  and  demoralization  of  his  army. 
If  ours  had  been  a  vigorous  pursuit  he  would  not 
have  reached  the  Potomac,  and  the  destiny  of  the 
rebellion  would  have  been  determined  upon  the 
plains  of  Maryland. 

A  freshet  of  unusual  severity  came  on,  the  rain  for 
days  fell  in  torrents,  the  roads  were  almost  impassa 
ble,  and  our  advance  was  made  very  slowly.  There 
was  continual  skirmishing  with  the  enemy's  rear,  and 
occasionally  indications  of  a  battle.  In  one  of  these 
skirmishes,  near  Fair  Play,  Company  E  of  our  regi 
ment  lost  eight  men,  two  of  whom  were  killed,  and 
the  remainder  taken  prisoners,  not  one  of  whom 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  121 

ever  lived  to  rejoin  their  regiment.  We  found  the 
enemy  intrenched  at  Williamsport,  Maryland,  a 
beautiful  village  on  the  Potomac  river.  We  had  at 
last  brought  the  enemy  to  a  halt,  and  we  were  once 
more  facing  him.  We  were  all  anxious  for  a  battle 
to  be  fought,  for  we  knew  that  if  Lee  escaped  across 
the  river,  it  meant  many  long,  weary  marches  and 
bloody  battles  for  us.  A  council  of  war  was  held, 
and  it  was  found  that  many  of  the  corps  and  division 
commanders  were  unwilling  to  make  the  attack. 
The  army  had  sustained  a  sad  loss  in  the  death  of 
General  Reynolds,  and  in  the  severe  wounds  received 
by  Generals  Hancock  and  Sickles.  In  all  probabil 
ity,  if  they  had  been  in  that  council  of  war,  the 
army  of  the  Potomac  would  have  been  hurled  upon 
the  position  of  Lee,  and  his  retreat  would  have 
been  impossible.  When  the  advance  was  finally 
made,  we  found  that  the  enemy  was  making  a 
rapid  retreat  in  the  direction  of  the  Shenan- 
doah  valley.  We  crossed  the  Potomac  at  Berlin, 
and  pushed  on  for  several  days  down  the  Loudon 
valley,  the  Blue  Ridge  being  between  the  two  great 
armies.  There  was  occasional  skirmishing  as  they 
came  in  contact  with  each  other  through  the  gaps  of 
the  mountain  chain.  On  the  23d  our  division 
relieved  the  Third  corps,  in  Manassas  gap.  The 
scenery  was  bold  and  grand.  The  ragged,  perpen 
dicular  hill,  overhanging  crags,  huge  boulders,  thick 
growth  of  stunted  forest  trees,  and  dense  under 
brush,  all  combined  to  make  up  a  picture,  which  for 
rugged  beauty  is  seldom  excelled.  We  supposed 
the  enemy  to  be  intrenched  in  force  in  our  immedi- 
6 


122  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAB. 

ate  vicinity,  and  expected  an  attack  every  moment. 
Our  rations  were  exhausted,  and  we  were  almost  in 
a  state  of  starvation,  but  fortunately  for  us  we 
found  blackberries  of  the  most  luscious  quality,  and 
in  great  quantities,  the  bushes  being  literally  cov 
ered  with  them,  so  that  the  men  easily  secured  enough 
to  satisfy  the  demands  of  hunger.  When  we 
reached  the  lofty  crest,  we  found  that  the  enemy  had 
retreated,  but  from  this  point  we  obtained  a  magnifi 
cent  view  of  the  beautiful  Shenandoah  valley,  and 
as  we  looked  over  on  its  fertile  fields,  smiling  so 
sweetly  in  the  sunshine,  we  were  reminded  of  Moses, 
when,  from  the  heights  of  Pisgah,  he  surveyed  the 
promised  land,  but  like  him,  were  not  permitted  to 
go  over  and  enjoy  it.  The  beautiful  scenery  repaid  us 
for  the  toilsome  ascent.  When  the  bugle  sounded 
the  recall,  we  descended,  carrying  with  us  very 
pleasant  memories  of  the  scenery  in  Manassas  gap. 

We  continued  our  march  until  the  Rappahannock 
river  was  reached,  where  we  halted,  and  for  a  month 
guarded  Beverly  Ford.  While  here  Colonel  Cham 
berlain,  who  had  commanded  our  regiment  since  the 
promotion  of  General  Ames,  the  previous  winter, 
assumed  command  of  the  brigade.  In  those  event 
ful  months,  Colonel  Chamberlain  had,  by  his  uni 
form  kindness  and  courtesy,  his  skill  and  brilliant 
courage,  endeared  himself  to  all  his  men,  and  had 
done  much  to  give  his  regiment  that  enviable  repu 
tation  it  has  since  enjoyed.  Our  regiment  was  es 
pecially  favored  in  its  two  first  commanders,  and 
those  who  came  in  the  line  of  succession  were  well 
worthy  to  follow  such  illustrious  predecessors. 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAB.  123 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Gilmore  here  took  command 
of  the  regiment.  Then  back  and  forth  across  the 
country  we  marched  and  counter-marched.  When 
we  advanced,  the  enemy  retreated,  then  both  would 
halt;  when  he  advanced,  we  kindly  retreated. 
Neither  commander  evidently  dared  to  become 
aggressive,  and  bring  on  a  general  engagement. 
There  was  much  heavy  skirmishing,  an  occa 
sional  battle,  and  if  either  side  gained  any  advan 
tage  there  was  no  disposition  shown  to  follow  it  up 
and  gain  important  results.  The  men  became  sour, 
weary  and  discouraged ;  there  seemed  to  be  no  es 
tablished  plan  of  action ;  we  would  go  into  camp, 
and  have  orders  to  arrange  and  police  our  company 
streets  and  parade  ground,  as  we  would  probably  re 
main  for  weeks.  We  would  all  forget  our  weariness, 
and  work  with  a  will,  and  then  when  everything 
was  in  "  apple-pie "  order,  it  would  be  "  strike 
tents,"  and  then  march  half-a-dozen  miles,  and  go 
through  the  same  experience  again.  Thus  days  and 
weeks  passed  away.  The  monotony  of  this  life  was 
occasionally  broken  by  some  events  of  considerable 
importance. 

In  the  month  of  August,  1863,  while  our  regiment 
was  encamped  near  Beverly  Ford,  on  the  Rappahan- 
nock  river,  a  report  was  circulated  through  our  corps 
that  five  deserters  had  been  arrested,  were  being  tried 
by  a  court-martial,  ar^d  would  probably  be  found 
guilty  and  be  executed.  This  caused  quite  a  ripple 
of  excitement  in  camp.  Years  before  we  had  read  of 
deserters  being  shot,  and  our  boyish  hearts  had  been 
thrilled  with  the  vivid  descriptions  given;  but  we 


124  BEMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAB. 

had  never  witnessed  such  a  spectacle.  We  had  seen 
death  in  almost  every  form,  but  this  was  something 
new. 

One  of  the  most  solemn  events  that  occurs  in 
army  life  is  the  execution  of  soldiers.  There  are 
several  offenses  in  the  army  punishable  by  death. 
There  are  times  when  the  offenders  are  deserving  of 
much  sympathy,  but  military  laws  must  be  enforced 
with  an  iron  rigor,  or  there  would  be  no  safety  for 
the  army  at  all.  We  may  have  much  sympathy  for 
the  weary  soldier,  who,  in  the  darkness  of  the  night, 
falls  asleep  upon  his  picket  post,  and  death  for  such 
an  offense  may  appear  to  be  a  severe  penalty,  but 
when  we  remember  that  his  hours  of  sleep  may  have 
allowed  death  to  visit  his  comrades,  and  defeat  to 
overtake  an  entire  army,  we  understand  why  such 
severe  penalties  are  inflicted.  But  when  the  crime  is 
desertion,  there  can  be  but  little  sympathy  for  the 
offender,  especially  if  he  has  enlisted  for  the  bounty 
received,  with  the  intention  of  deserting  at  the  first 
opportunity.  Where  the  case  has  been  aggravated 
by  several  enlistments,  bounties,  and  desertions,  the 
offender  justly  forfeits  all  claims  upon  human  sym 
pathy  ;  and  yet,  after  all,  under  the  most  aggravating 
circumstances,  it  is  a  very  solemn  thing  to  see  human 
beings  led  forth  to  be  shot  like  dogs,  and  those  who 
witness  such  scenes  receive  an  impression  that  can . 
never  be  shaken  off. 

The  court-martial  found  the  deserters  guilty,  and 
sentenced  them  all  to  be  shot.  The  29th  of  August 
was  the  day  when  the  sentence  of  death  was  to  be 
carried  into  execution,  and  the  whole  Fifth  corps  was 


EEMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAE.  125 

to  witness  the  spectacle.  The  regiments  were  massed 
in  columns  by  divisions  around  a  hollow  square. 
The  lines  were  so  formed  that  nearly  every  man  in 
the  corps  could  obtain  a  view  of  the  whole  situation. 
The  lines  were  all  formed,  and  for  some  moments  we 
waited  for  the  arrival  of  the  solemn  procession.  It 
soon  made  its  appearance,  and  while  the  description 
of  it  may  not  impress  my  readers  with  much  force, 
I  can  assure  them  that  it  made  a  deep  and  lasting 
impression  upon  the  minds  of  those  who  witnessed  it. 
Every  detail  had  evidently  been  arranged  for  the  spe 
cial  object  of  making  a  solemn  impression  upon  the 
interested  spectators.  Let  us  for  a  moment  imagine 
the  scene.  On  a  broad  level  field,  the  old  Fifth  corps 
with  its  bronzed  veterans  and  tattered  flags,  closed 
in  solid  columns  around  the  open  square.  The  im 
pressive  silence  was  not  broken  by  a  single  sound. 
Each  line  of  soldiers  looked  more  like  the  section  of 
a  vast  machine  than  a  line  composed  of  living  men. 
The  silence  was  suddenly  and  sadly  broken  by  the 
sounds  of  approaching  music, — not  the  quick,  inspir 
ing  strains  with  which  we  were  so  familiar,  but  a  meas 
ured,  slow,  and  solemn  dirge,  whose  weird,  sorrow 
ful  notes  were  poured  forth  like  the  meanings  of  lost 
spirits.  Not  a  soldier  spoke,  but  every  eye  was  turned 
in  the  direction  from  which  came  the  sad  and  mournful 
cadences,  and  then  we  saw  the  procession.  First  came 
the  band  of  music,  of  which  I  have  spoken.  Each 
musician  seemed  to  comprehend  the  solemnity  of  the 
occasion,  and  this  knowledge  inspired  them  with  abil 
ity  to  discharge  the  responsibility.  Slow  and  meas 
ured  was  their  step ;  sad  and  painful  was  their  music ; 


126  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR. 

solemn  as  eternity  was  the  impression  that  swept  over 
us.  Next  came  a  detachment  of  the  provost  guard, 
numbering  sixty  men.  The  provost  guard  consisted  of 
men  who  were  detailed  from  the  several  regiments, 
and  in  their  selection  special  regard  was  made  to  the 
soldierly  qualities  of  the  individuals.  This  detach 
ment,  as  well  as  the  one  of  the  same  size  making  up 
the  rear  of  the  procession,  was  composed  of  the  fin 
est  looking  men  that  could  be  selected  from  the 
entire  provost  guard.  Each  one  was  tall  and  erect 
in  form ;  all  were  well  drilled  and  neatly  clad ;  with 
the  precision  of  drilled  veterans  they  kept  step  to 
the  slow  and  solemn  music.  This  is  the  firing  party. 
Next  followed  a  black  coffin  carried  by  four  men,  and 
close  after  that  came  one  of  the  condemned  men, 
then  another  coffin,  and  following  that  the  second 
criminal;  and  thus  in  regular  order  they  came,  the 
rear  of  the  procession  being  made  up  of  the  second 
detachment  of  the  provost  guard,  of  which  I  have 
already  spoken.  This  detachment,  like  number  one, 
was  composed  of  sixty  men.  The  prisoners  were  all 
clad  alike,  in  blue  pants  and  white  shirts,  each  man's 
hands  were  manacled  behind  him,  and  a  guard  was 
on  either  side.  The  five  prisoners  were  marched  to 
the  center  of  the  square  where  the  graves  had  already 
been  prepared.  Each  prisoner  was  also  accompanied 
by  a  priest  or  chaplain.  It  was  reported  at  the  time 
that  there  were  two  Protestant  chaplains,  two  Cath 
olic,  and  one  Jewish  priest,  each  prisoner,  I  suppose, 
being  allowed  to  select  one  of  his  own  religious  belief. 
The  coffins  were  placed  near  the  open  graves  that 
were  to  receive  them.  Of  what  could  those  men 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   "WAB.  127 

have  been  thinking  as  they  marched  to  the  gateway 
of  eternity  ?  I  can  imagine  how  men  may  face  death 
under  almost  any  circumstances,  but  to  be  thus 
marched  to  the  place  of  execution,  between  the 
massed  columns  of  their  own  comrades,  and  keep 
step  to  the  music  of  death,  must  have  awakened 
emotions  in  their  breasts,  that  can  only  be  rivaled  by 
the  stern  events  of  the  judgment  day.  Four  of  the 
condemned  men  walked  steadily,  and  to  all  outward 
appearances,  with  perfect  unconcern,  to  the  place  of 
death.  One  was  weak  and  tottering,  and  was  evi 
dently  leaning  heavily  for  support  upon  his  attend 
ants.  When  the  coffins  were  properly  arranged  at 
the  graves,  each  prisoner  sat  down  upon  the  foot  of 
his  coffin,  in  such  a  manner  that  he  would  directly 
face  the  detachments  of  the  provost  guard.  Then 
followed  a  long,  low  conversation'  between  the  con 
demned  men  and  their  spiritual  advisers.  It  was  a 
most  affecting  scene.  Five  men  !  beings  of  deathless 
destiny !  men  for  whom  the  Redeemer  died !  about 
to  be  hurled  through  the  iron  gateways  of  death  for  j 
crimes  committed  against  their  bleeding  country. 

Faithfully  and  well  did  the  men  of  God  perform 
their  duties  toward  those  who  were  about  to  die,  and 
eternity,  I  suppose,  will  record  the  results.  The 
last  exhortation  was  given,  the  last  word  spoken, 
and  the  clergymen  withdrew  from  the  presence  of 
the  condemned.  Each  of  the  doomed  men  was  then 
blindfolded  with  a  thick  and  heavy  bandage.  The 
officers  in  charge  then  stepped  back  upon  a  line  with 
the  soldiers  who  were  to  fire.  The  sixty  men  were 
ready  to  perform  their  sad  duty.  One  rifle  in  each 


128  BEMINTSCENCES   OF  THE  WAK. 

twelve  was  loaded  with  a  blank  cartridge,  so  that 
not  one  of  the  firing  party  should  know  that  he  had 
taken  the  life  of  a  fellow  being.  The  second  detach 
ment  was  placed  in  such  a  position  that  they  could 
complete  the  work  if  any  of  the  condemned  should 
survive  after  the  first  fire. 

After  the  bandages  were  placed  upon  the  eyes  of 
the  men,  there  was  a  moment  of  awful  suspense. 
To  the  anxious  spectators  it  seemed  to  be  an  age. 
Then  clear  and  sharp  the  voice  of  the  commanding 
officer  rang  out  "  Ready  ! "  and  instantly  each  of 
the  sixty  guns  obeyed  the  command.  Once  more 
the  officer's  voice  was  heard,  "  Aim !  "  and  sixty 
rifles  were  brought  into  position,  twelve  being 
aimed  at  the  breast  of  each  victim.  Intently  we 
watched  and  listened.  At  last  we  heard  the  fatal 
word,  "  Fire  !  "  There  was  a  gleaming  flash,  a  line 
of  curling  smoke,  a  sharp  crash  like  the  report  of  a 
single  rifle.  We  looked  again.  The  provost  guard 
was  standing  at  "  Shoulder  arms."  Five  bleeding 
forms  were  lying  limp  and  lifeless  upon  the  ground 
where  they  had  fallen ;  the  deserters  had  met  their 
doom.  Law  had  been  enforced;  the  penalty  in 
flicted  ;  the  outraged  government  avenged.  The 
lines  were  quickly  in  motion,  and  the  regiments 
marched  to  their  respective  camps,  each  soldier  feel 
ing  more  keenly  than  ever  before  the  solemn  respon 
sibilities  of  his  position. 

The  only  advantage  gained  by  the  enemy  in  all 
these  marches  and  counter-marches  was  the  destruc 
tion  of  the  railroads  and  bridges  to  such  an  extent 
that  it  employed  our  army  nearly  all  the  fall  and 


KEMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAK.  129 

winter  to  reconstruct  them.  On  the  17th  of  Novem 
ber  our  regiment  under  the  command  of  Major  Ellis 
Spear  was  in  camp  at  "  Three  Mile  Station."  The 
enemy  held  the  railroad,  a  few  miles  distant,  at  a 
point  known  as  Rappahannock  station,  on  the  north 
ern  bank  of  the  Rappahannock  river.  The  position 
was  naturally  a  very  strong  one,  as  it  was  a  high 
eminence  commanding  the  country  for  miles  around. 
Upon  these  heights  they  had  constructed  strong 
works,  and  these  were  garrisoned  by  the  rebel  bri 
gades  of  Hoke  and  Hayes.  It  was  determined  to 
carry  this  fort  by  assault.  Eighty  men  were  detailed 
from  our  regiment,  and  were  placed  under  the  com 
mand  of  Captain  W.  G.  Morrill,  to  act  as  skirmishers. 
Gallantly  this  line  advanced  under  a  fearful  fire,  un 
til  they  reached  the  railroad  embankment,  which  af 
forded  them  an  excellent  shelter.  Then  a  portion  of 
the  Sixth  corps  came  in  upon  their  right  to  storm 
the  fort.  But  these  brave  men  were  determined  not 
to  be  outdone,  and  dashed  forward  with  the  Sixth 
Maine  regiment,  and  entered  the  fort  simultaneously 
with  them.  Many  prisoners  and  a  number  of  guns 
were  taken.  This  was  one  of  the  most  brilliant 
events  of  the  campaign. 

As  is  usually  the  case,  many  deeds  of  valor  were 
performed  by  both  officers  and  men,  that  have  never 
found  their  way  into  print.  Seth  McGuire,  a  pri 
vate  of  the  Twentieth  Maine,  was  well  in  advance  of 
the  assaulting  column,  and  was  determined  to  be  the 
first  man  to  mount  the  rebel  breastworks ;  but  be 
fore  he  reached  the  coveted  position,  a  minie-ball 
shattered  his  leg.  The  wound  unfitted  him  for  ser- 


130  REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAK. 

vice,  and  thus  the  regiment  lost  one  of  its  bravest 
members.  The  gigantic  form  of  Morrison,  one  of 
the  Aroostook  boys,  was  rushing  to  the  front,  when 
a  twelve-pound  shell  tore  his  knapsack  from  his 
shoulders  and  hurled  him  with  great  force  across  a 
pile  of  rocks.  Springing  to  his  feet  he  dashed  on, 
and  was  the  first  man  to  enter  the  works  at  the  point 
where  he  reached  them.  Seeing  at  a  glance  that  he 
was  alone,  he  sprang  over  the  works,  and  fell  in  the 
trench  as  if  he  was  dead,  and  remained  under  the 
rebels'  feet,  until  the  Union  line  of  battle  reached 
the  works,  when  he  arose  and  joined  in  the  capture 
of  the  fort.  Another  man  belonging  to  our  regi 
ment  was  missing  from  the  detachment,  when  it  re 
turned  to  the  regiment.  Darkness  came  on,  and  he 
did  not  return.  The  wounded  had  been  borne  from 
the  field,  but  he  was  not  among  them.  We  knew 
that  he  could  not  have  been  taken  as  a  prisoner. 
He  also  had  a  brother  in  the  same  company.  As 
the  long  hours  of  the  night  slowly  passed,  all  decided 
that  he  must  have  been  killed  in  the  desperate 
charge.  He  had  been  seen  in  the  front,  nearly  up 
to  the  fort,  and  there  they  had  lost  all  trace  of  him. 
His  brother  passed  a  sleepless  night,  for  he  supposed 
that  he  was  cold  and  lifeless  on  the  battle-field. 
The  next  forenoon  a  squad  of  men  was  sent  from 
the  regiment  to  search  for  his  body  and  bury  it  when 
found.  The  bereaved  brother  sadly  accompanied 
them.  But  they  searched  in  vain ;  he  was  not  to  be 
found  upon  the  battle-field.  The  graves  of  those 
who  had  been  buried,  were  all  marked,  and  his 
name  was  not  among  them.  It  was  nearly  noon,  and 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR.  131 

the  squad  was  returning  to  the  regiment ;  they  saw  a 
thin,  blue  smoke  curling  from  a  little  fire  in  a  clump 
of  small  trees;  they  approached  it,  and  to  their 
joyful  surprise  discovered  the  object  of  their  search. 
He  had  fought  through  the  battle,  and  pursued  the 
rebels  as  far  as  any  of  our  men  were  allowed  to  go  ; 
and  then  being  tired  had  lain  down  in  the  bushes  to 
take  a  nap.  Had  slept  all  night,  and  nearly  all 
the  forenoon,  and  when  discovered  was  coolly  en 
gaged  in  making  coffee,  regardless  of  the  anxiety  in 
his  regiment  and  the  squad  searching  for  his  remains 
that  they  might  have  a  soldier's  burial. 

The  survivors  were  all  loud  in  their  praises  of  the 
gallant  manner  in  which  Captain  Morrill  led  them 
into  the  battle,  and  the  heroic  bravery  he  there 
displayed. 

On  the  following  day  our  regiment  crossed  the 
river  at  Kelley's  Ford,  marched  a  few  miles  from 
the  river,  encamped,  and  on  the  next  day  recrossed 
the  river  at  the  same  ford,  and  passed  a  cold,  uncom 
fortable  and  sleepless  night  near  the  river.  And  thus 
for  two  weeks  we  were  moving  from  point  to  point. 
The  weather  was  cold  and  stormy,  the  roads  were 
almost  impassable,  and  the  men  suffered  much  from 
cold  and  exposure.  On  the  26th,  we  "  struck  tents  " 
at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  marched  in  the 
direction  of  the  enemy.  We  crossed  the  Rapidan 
river  at  Gold  Mine  Ford  late  in  the  afternoon  and 
continued  our  march  until  eight  o'clock  in  the  even 
ing.  It  was  Thanksgiving  day  in  Maine.  We  thought 
of  the  pleasant  gatherings  and  well-loaded  tables  at 


132  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

home,  and  turned  from  these  pleasant  pictures  of 
peace  and  plenty  to  the  soldiers'  fare,  heavy  march 
ing,  hard-tack,  salt  pork  and  coffee.  I  do  not  wonder 
that  our  hearts  for  a  few  hours  were  a  little  homesick 
at  the  contrast. 

On  the  29th  we  came  up  to  the  enemy  at  Mine 
Run.  We  found  him  strongly  intrenched  upon  a 
ridge  of  land  from  which  he  could  not  be  dislodged 
without  a  great  sacrifice  of  life.  Our  commanders 
halted,  for  some  cause  not  known  to  us.  That  halt 
was  fatal.  The  rebels  improved  it  by  adding  to  the 
strength  of  their  position,  which  was  soon  made  almost 
impregnable.  Our  brigade  occupied  the  picket  line 
close  up  to  the  enemy's  works,  and  between  us  was 
the  deep  stream  of  water  known  as  Mine  Run.  For 
a  day  or  two  there  was  an  incessant  firing  along  the 
picket  line,  but  both  sides  soon  grew  weary  of  this, 
and  all  was  quiet.  The  weather  was  intensely  cold, 
the  long  nights  were  frosty,  and  the  soldiers,  being 
thinly  clad,  suffered  intensely. 

On  the  30th  the  battle  was  to  begin  at  eight  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  and  at  that  hour  our  artillery  opened 
upon  the  enemy,  and  theirs  quickly  made  reply.  In 
our  advanced  position  the  shells  of  the  combatants 
passed  over  us.  If  I  could  reproduce  the  sounds  that 
filled  the  air — the  screaming,  hissing,  hooting  shells — 
as  they  passed  over  our  picket  line  I  but  that  is  im 
possible.  There  was  also  picket  firing  and  skirmish 
ing  all  along  the  line,  but  no  general  engagement, 
took  place.  The  artillery  fire  gradually  grew  less* 
and  the  rumor  reached  us  that  the  army  was  to  fall 


BEMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR.  133 

back.  General  Meade  did  not  think  it  wisdom  to 
attack  the  enemy  in  their  intrenched  position,  and 
had  consequently  ordered  a  retreat. 

On  the  night  of  December  1st,  the  army  began  its 
retreat.  Our  picket  line  was  withdrawn  at  four 
o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  second.  We  recrossed 
the  Rapidan  at  Germania  Ford,  and  retreated  as  rap 
idly  as  possible.  The  old  soldiers  will  not  forget  that 
retreat,  the  cold  night,  the  rough,  frozen  roads,  how 
we,  sleepy,  hungry,  and  nearly  worn  out,  dashed  along 
the  roads  and  through  the  woods  to  escape  before  the 
enemy  could  capture  us.  As  a  regiment  we  point  to 
the  retreat  from  Mine  Run  as  the  fastest  record  of 
speed  we  made  in  our  three  years'  service.  One  fel 
low  in  our  regiment  always  declared  that  he  was  so 
sleepy  that  he  could  not  possibly  keep  his  eyes  open, 
and  that  with  head  fallen  back  upon  his  knapsack,  he 
had  actually  marched  five  miles  through  the  woods, 
sound  asleep ;  but  I  do  not  vouch  for  that  fellow's 
veracity. 

On  December  3d  we  reached  the  Rappahannock 
river,  and  on  the  day  following  went  into  winter 
quarters  at  Rappahannock  station,  where  the  battle 
had  been  fought  on  the  7th  of  the  previous  month. 

And  thus  the  campaign  of  1863  closed.  To  us  it 
had  been  an  eventful  one.  For  seven  months  we  had 
been  actively  engaged,  and  had  marched  many  a  weary 
mile.  There  had  been  numberless  skirmishes  with 
the  enemy,  in  which  our  men  had  honored  the  State 
whose  seal  they  carried  upon  their  banner.  At 
Round  Top  we  had  crossed  bayonets  with  the  sons  of 
the  South,  and  had  given  them  an  exhibition  of 


134  EEMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

Northern  courage  at  which  they  had  so  often  sneered. 
Our  officers  had  patiently  borne  with  us  the  fatigues 
of  that  campaign,  and  had  bravely  led  us  in  those 
scenes  of  danger  and  death.  Our  colors  were  torn 
and  riddled  by  the  enemy's  bullets,  and  our  brave 
comrades  had  been  killed  and  disabled  by  scores.  No 
pen  can  describe,  no  brain  can  estimate,  the  amount 
of  suffering  through  which  we  had  passed.  But  we 
were  there,  the  broken  and  scarred  remains  of  the 
old  Twentieth  Maine,  there  in  winter  quarters  to 
reorganize  and  prepare  for  the  coming  campaign, 
one  that  was  destined  to  eclipse  all  others  in  the  bat 
tles  fought,  the  bravery  displayed,  the  sacrifices  made, 
and  the  results  gathered 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

BAPPAHANNOCK    STATION. 

THE  campaign  of  1863  had  closed,  and  once  more 
the  old  army  of  the  Potomac  went  into  winter  quar 
ters.  On  the  4th  of  December  our  regiment  en 
camped  at  Rappahannock  station,  for  the  purpose  of 
guarding  the  railroad  bridge  at  that  place.  Our 
camp  was  on  the  crest  of  a  hill  upon  the  north  bank 
of  the  river.  The  hill  overlooked  for  a  long  distance 
the  blue  river  that  rolled  swiftly  at  its  base,  the  rail 
road  bridge,  a  vast  expanse  of  country,  and  the  for 
tifications  upon  the  opposite  side.  We  were  upon 
historic  ground.  The  rebels  had  strongly  forti 
fied  this  position,  and  it  had  been  garrisoned  by  the 
brigades  of  Generals  Hoke  and  Hayes.  A  detach 
ment  of  eighty  men  from  our  regiment,  under  the 
command  of  Captain  W.  G.  Morrill,  had  co-operated 
with  a  portion  of  the  Sixth  corps  in  its  capture,  on 
the  7th  of  the  previous  November.  The  assault  was 
one  of  the  most  brilliant  and  successful  of  the  war. 
Maine  was  well  represented  by  several  regiments,  and 
in  the  little  cemetery  on  the  hillside  we  built  a 
wooden  monument  and  dedicated  it  to  the  memory 
of  the  brave  soldiers  of  our  State  who  fell  in  the  gal 
lant  charge.  In  the  trenches  and  among  the  rocks 
we  buried  the  rebel  dead,  who  fell  in  their  brave  de- 


136  REMINISCENCES   OF    THE    WAR. 

fense  of  the  position.  When  we  returned  and 
encamped,  the  breastworks  were  torn  down,  and  upon 
the  rocky  surface  of  this  elevation  we  leveled  our  pa 
rade  ground,  made  our  streets  and  built  our  tents. 
It  was  a  beautiful  place  for  an  encampment,  healthy 
from  its  elevated  position,  and  picturesque  in  every 
sense  of  the  word.  Our  tents,  built  of  logs  and 
covered  with  tent  cloth,  were  large  and  quite  com 
fortable.  Good  water  was  plenty,  wood  was  easily 
obtained,  the  men  were  healthy,  and  this  winter's  ex 
perience  was  the  most  pleasant  that  we  enjoyed  while 
in  the  army.  There  was  but  little  fatigue  duty,  and 
only  a  small  section  of  picket  line  to  sustain,  and  a 
large  portion  of  our  time  was  devoted  to  such 
amusements  as  we  could  devise  in  camp.  The  prin 
cipal  feature  in  these  were  the  practical,  good-natured 
jokes  we  used  to  practice  upon  each  other.  In  our 
company  there  were  about  thirty  men,  nearly  all  of 
whom  were  less  than  thirty  years  of  age.  As  I  recall 
the  names  of  those  brave  fellows,  and  think  of  the 
amusements  of  that  winter,  I  am  almost  tempted  to 
assert  that  it  was  the  happiest  period  of  my  life.  Many 
recruits  came  to  us  during  that  time,  and  of  course 
they  were  proper  subjects  for  practical  jokes.  One 
fellow  from  the  backwoods  of  Maine  reached  the 
regiment  late  in  the  afternoon.  He  soon  revealed  to 
a  number  of  the  boys  that  his  only  fear  in  becoming 
a  soldier  was  that  he  would  not  be  able  to  stand  on 
"a  picket  post."  He  felt  that  it  would  require  a 
great  deal  of  practice  to  do  this  in  a  skillful  manner, 
and  since  he  had  decided  to  enlist,  he  had  not  had  a 
moment's  time  to  practice  it.  Of  course  the  boys 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE    WAR.  187 

had  a  great  deal  of  sympathy  for  him,  and  kindly 
promised  to  assist  him,  for  which  he  was  very  thank 
ful.  They  informed  him  how  difficult  a  thing  it  was 
for  them  when  they  first  began.  They  accompanied 
him  to  the  lower  end  of  the  street,  where  a  post 
some  four  feet  in  height  and  six  inches  in  diameter 
was  set  upright  in  the  ground,  the  upper  end  being 
sharpened  nearly  to  a  point.  With  a  little  assistance 
the  recruit  succeeded  in  reaching  its  sharpened  top, 
and  in  tke  evening  twilight,  for  nearly  two  long  hours 
he  managed  to  maintain  his  position,  and  received 
the  compliments  of  his  comrades.  He  then  went  to 
his  tent,  proud  of  the  fact  that  he  had  mastered  so 
difficult  a  problem  in  so  brief  a  time. 

Another  recruit,  fresh  from  the  schools  and  refined 
society,  but  who  had  never  seen  much  of  the  world, 
came  to  our  company.  The  boys  saw  at  a  glance 
that  he  was  a  glorious  subject  for  a  practical  joke, 
and  anxiously  waited  for  an  opportunity.  It  soon 
came.  The  young  man  was  very  confidential,  and 
before  he  had  been  with  us  a  whole  day  revealed  all 
his  plans.  He  had  enlisted,  knowing  that  his  educa 
tion  and  polished  manners  would  give  him  rapid  pro 
motion.  Of  course  he  would  be  a  private  but  a  few 
weeks,  so  he  had  brought  an  officer's  uniform  with 
him,  and  had  the  whole  suit  packed  in  his  knapsack. 
Seeing  that  we  were  deeply  interested  in  his  plans, 
he  asked  if  we  could  advise  him  in  any  way  that 
would  assist  in  his  promotion;  he  would  do  any 
thing  to  gain  success  in  that  line.  Various  things 
were  spoken  of  by  his  advisers,  which,  if  done,  might 
aid  him  in  his  commendable  ambition.  One  re- 


138  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

marked  that  extravagance  in  the  use  of  government 
stores  was  the  great  evil  of  the  army,  and  when  the 
officers  noticed  that  a  man  was  prudent,  and  looked 
out  for  the  interests  of  the  Government,  he  was 
always  rapidly  promoted.  We  all  took  the  hint. 
Only  the  day  before  this  conversation,  fresh  ammu 
nition  had  been  issued  to  our  regiment,  and  that 
which  we  had  carried  so  long  having  become  worth 
less  by  exposure  to  air  and  moisture,  was  thrown 
away.  The  cartridges  were  scattered  along  the 
street  and  through  our  tents.  "  Yes,  that  is  so," 
continued  another,  "now,  there  are  those  car 
tridges  ;  it  is  too  bad  to  have  them  wasted,  and  I 
have  no  doubt  the  colonel  would  promote  any  man 
who  would  gather  them  up  and  carry  them  to  his 
tent,  but  I  won't  do  it."  "Neither  will  I,"  said 
speaker  number  three,  "  I  enlisted  to  shoot  rebels ; 
I  am  perfectly  willing  to  wade  in  blood,  but  I  won't 
do  such  work  as  that  if  I  am  never  promoted." 
After  this  patriotic  declaration  he  yawned,  and 
turned  over  in  his  berth  as  if  he  would  sleep ;  but 
the  bait  had  been  swallowed.  The  recruit  glided 
from  the  little  group  of  soldiers,  went  to  the  cook 
house,  borrowed  two  large  camp  kettles,  and  then 
through  the  tents  and  streets  he  went,  until  the 
kettles  were  nearly  filled  with  cartridges,  and  he 
had  all  the  load  he  could  possibly  carry.  Then  stag 
gering  along  with  a  kettle  in  each  hand,  he  walked 
to  the  colonel's  tent.  He  passed  the  guard  who  was 
on  duty  there,  and  did  not  halt  until  he  had  reached 
the  doorway.  He  then  gave  a  smart  knock,  with 
the  assurance  .of  one  who  is  confident  of  receiving  a 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAK.  139 

warm  welcome.  One  of  the  field  officers  answered 
the  summons.  The  expectant  recruit  made  known 
his  business.  The  officer  glanced  down  the  street 
and  saw  the  laughing  soldiers.  He  took  in  the 
whole  situation  at  a  glance.  There  was  a  scowl,  an 
oath,  a  vanishing  officer,  a  door  closing  with  a  fear 
ful  slam,  and  Company  H  yelled  and  howled  with 
delight.  The  sounds  of  merriment  must  have  grated 
harshly  upon  the  ears  of  the  poor  fellow  who  had 
been  the  victim.  This  episode  crushed  his  expecta 
tions,  and  we  never  heard  him  utter  the  word  pro 
motion  again. 

These  jokes  were  not  confined  to  each  other,  but 
the  men  in  the  ranks  took  great  delight  in  practicing 
them  upon  the  officers  whom  they  did  not  like,  when 
it  could  be  done  innocently.  At  one  time  a  regi 
ment  in  camp  was  living  upon  very  poor  rations. 
The  bread  was  moldy,  hard,  and  unfit  to  eat. 
There  were  no  rations  of  meat,  and  as  for  the  coffee 
and  sugar,  the  grip  of  the  quartermaster  could  be 
detected  in  every  spoonful.  There  was  a  chaplain 
in  the  regiment  who  was  supposed  to  look  after  the 
interests  of  the  men,  especially  if  they  were  sick, 
but  the  boys  thought  that  this  one  paid  too  much 
attention  to  the  officers  and  too  little  to  them,  as 
he  never  came  to  their  tents  or  spoke  with  them 
when  he  met  them.  He  was  a  remarkably  sleek  and 
well  fed  looking  individual.  One  day  he,  together 
with  some  officers  from  another  regiment,  passed 
through  a  company  street  just  as  the  men  were  eat 
ing  dinner.  The  chaplain  had  his  hands  behind  him, 
and  wore  a  self-satisfied  look.  A  wag  by  the  name 


140  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAB. 

of  Dick  sat  on  the  ground  by  his  tent  door,  trying 
to  eat  the  musty  hard-tack.  Assuming  almost  an 
idiotic  look  as  the  chaplain  approached,  he  inquired 
very  innocently,  "Chaplain,  will  you  be  kind 
enough  to  tell  me  what  the  two  capital  letters,  B.C., 
stand  for,  when  they  are  printed  together  upon  any 
thing?"  "  O,  yes,"  blandly  answered  the  chaplain, 
raising  his  voice  so  loud  that  it  would  attract  the 
attention  of  all  the  men  in  the  street,  "it  means 
before  the  birth  of  our  Saviour,  previous  to  the  be 
ginning  of  the  Christian  era."  He  proceeded  to 
give  quite  a  profound  theological  exposition  of  the 
matter,  and  then  inquired,  "  But,  my  man,  why  did 
you  ask  so  unusual  a  question  ?  "  "  O,  nothin'," 
answered  the  innocent  Dick,  "  only  we  have  seen  it 
stamped  on  these  sheets  of  hard-tack,  and  were  curi 
ous  to  know  why  it  was  there."  At  this  point  the 
listeners  all  exploded  with  laughter,  while  the  chap 
lain  saw  that  he  was  sold,  and  walked  rapidly  away. 
But  of  all  the  "  shining  lights,"  or  men  possessing 
remarkable  qualities,  in  Company  H,  it  is  safe  to  say 
that  our  company  cook  ranked  all  others.  He  is 
living  now,  and  if  he  reads  these  lines,  I  know  he  will 
forgive  the  description  I  give  of  him,  and  also  thank  me 
for  revelations  here  made  that  he  never  knew  before. 
He  was  a  short,  thin,  frail  man,  with  one  leg  shorter 
than  the  other,  and  the  longer  one  much  more  crooked 
than  its  mate.  Of  course  he  could  not  march  in  the 
ranks,  and  I  think  he  never  carried  a  rifle.  But  no 
man  in  the  army  of  the  Potomac  could  rival  him  in 
the  art  and  science  of  cookery.  Among  mess  pans, 
camp  kettles,  and  dish  cloths,  Daniel  shone  peerless 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR.  141 

and  alone.  He  was  a  generous,  kind  hearted  man, 
and  for  the  boys  who  went  out  with  him  when  the 
regiment  was  mustered,  he  had  a  profound  respect, 
and  could  never  do  too  much  for  them.  But  like  all 
old  veterans,  he  had  a  great  contempt  for  recruits, 
which  he  was  always  anxious  to  display.  As  I  think 
of  his  kindness  to  me  I  almost  feel  condemned  for 
the  many  jokes  the  other  fellows  played  upon  him. 
Like  many  other  men  in  positions  of  trust,  Daniel 
learned  some  crooked  ways.  He  learned  by  observa 
tion  that  the  longer  he  boiled  the  rations  of  fat  pork, 
the  more  lard  would  rise  to  the  surface  of  the  water 
when  it  was  cooled.  He  quickly  took  advantage  of 
this  discovery,  and,  by  purchasing  flour  at  the  sutler's, 
soon  built  up  quite  a  business  in  frying  doughnuts 
and  selling  them  to  us  at  the  rate  of  about  ten  cents 
apiece.  We  used  to  complain  to  him  that  the  dough 
nut  business  sadly  interfered  with  our  rations  of 
meat,  but  he  always  gave  us  to  understand  that  he 
knew  his  own  business.  There  were  but  few  of  us 
who  had  any  money  to  buy  with,  but  we  were  all  ex 
ceedingly  fond  of  doughnuts,  and  many  were  the 
schemes  we  devised  to  come  into  possession  of  the  cov 
eted  stores.  One  fellow  would  invite  Daniel  to  his 
tent,  to  ask  his  advice  upon  some  very  important 
matter,  and  he  was  never  known  to  refuse  a  request 
of  this  nature.  While  he  was  thus  occupied,  some 
graceless  scamps  would  enter  the  cook-house,  break 
open  the  well-known  box  under  the  table,  and  bear 
away  half  a  peck  of  the  stolen  luxuries.  Soon  after, 
we  would  see  him  coming  from  his  tent,  wrath  pictured 
on  every  feature,  and  vengeance  ringing  in  every 


142  BEMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAB. 

step,  to  make  known  to  us  his  loss.  How  deeply 
we  would  sympathize  with  him!  Some  one  would 
chance  to  remember  that  he  saw  a  recruit  coming 
from  the  direction  of  the  cook-house  a  short  time  be 
fore.  A  hint  was  enough,  and  upon  their  luckless 
heads  he  would  pour  the  vials  of  his  wrath.  Then  in 
the  kindness  of  his  heart  he  would  bring  forth  the 
remainder  of  the  doughnuts  and  divide  them  among 
his  sympathizers  as  a  reward  for  their  honesty.  The 
last  joke  we  played,  however,  was  rather  overdone, 
and  completely  destroyed  this  branch  of  the  cook's 
business.  It  was  pay  day,  the  soldiers  had  lots  of 
money,  and  the  cook  had  planned  for  a  rich  harvest. 
The  rations  of  pork  had  been  so  large  that  he  did  not 
think  it  wise  to  issue  them  all  to  the  men.  Round 
after  round  of  pork  had  been  laid  carefully  away. 
Of  course  the  boys  understood  all  about  it.  This  day 
had  been  a  busy  one  for  Daniel,  and  as  a  result  of  his 
economy  and  industry  he  was  in  possession  of  two 
large  camp  kettles  filled  with  liquid  lard.  He  had 
placed  them  under  the  table  to  cool,  while  two 
kettles  of  similar  size  filled  with  water  were  sitting 
upon  the  floor  of  his  cook-house.  This  building 
was  covered  with  cotton  cloth ;  its  walls  were 
made  of  pine  logs,  pitchy  and  dry;  the  chimney 
was  made  of  barrels,  which  were,  of  course,  as  dry 
as  tinder.  Morrison,  Daniel's  most  trusted  friend, 
called  at  the  cook-house,  and  informed  Daniel 
that  the  sutler  wished  to  see  him  a  moment.  The 
summons  was  quickly  obeyed.  When  his  form  van 
ished  through  the  tents,  the  barrels  were  set  on  fire 
and  the  kettles  of  lard  exchanged  positions  with  the 


EEMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAE.  143 

with  the  kettles  of  water.  Soon  spiral  tongues  of 
flame  are  seen  encircling  the  sooty  barrels.  Some 
one  cries  fire  !  The  cry  is  caught  up,  and  fire  !  fire  ! 
FIBE  !  resounds  along  the  line.  "  Company  H's  cook 
house  is  on  fire  !"  yell  a  hundred  men.  At  that  mo 
ment  we  see  Daniel  advancing  on  the  double-quick  ; 
never  before  had  those  illy  mated  legs  done  such  uni 
form  service.  Breathless  and  with  flushed  face  he 
crossed  the  door-sill  of  that  establishment  where  he 
alone  was  king.  Seizing  what  he  supposed  was  a 
kettle  of  water,  he  hurled  it  upon  the  greedy  flames, 
and  without  waiting  to  notice  the  result,  the  contents 
of  kettle  number  two  followed  those  of  number  one. 
A  black  flame  of  fire  sprang  fifty  feet  into  the  air, 
and  in  a  moment  the  whole  cook-house  was  a  mass  of 
fire.  It  was  with  much  difficulty  that  we  prevented 
the  flames  from  spreading  through  the  whole  encamp 
ment.  Poor  Daniel  was  completely  demoralized. 
He  sat  down  by  the  smoking  ruins  of  his  home  and 
wept.  A  few  of  us  gathered  around  him  and  sympa 
thized  with  him  over  the  fatal  mistake  he  made  in 
putting  away  the  water  instead  of  the  lard.  To  our 
surprise  he  shook  his  head  as  if  he  did  not  believe 
our  theory  of  the  disaster.  Lieut.  Bickford,  com 
manding  the  company,  came  down  to  where  we  were 
talking,  and  with  a  frown  on  his  face  and  a  smile  of 
mirth  twinkling  in  his  eyes,  asked  us  the  cause  of  the 
fire.  Morrison  and  others  gave  various  theories  in 
relation  to  it.  But  unfortunately  for  us,  the  lieuten 
ant  was  an  old  soldier,  and  had  known  us  for  some 
time.  As  he  turned  away  he  remarked,  "  Morrison, 
you  and  Gerrish  and  Tarbell  and  Gilmore  must  re- 


144  REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR. 

build  that  cook-house  immediately."  There  was  no 
appeal  from  this  decision,  and  for  two  long  days  we 
toiled  in  the  work  of  rebuilding.  Daniel  did  not 
exult  over  us  in  our  misfortune  ;  but  there  was  a  look 
of  satisfaction  upon  his  face  as  he  took  charge  of  the 
building  squad,  to  which  position  he  had  been  as 
signed  by  the  lieutenant  commanding. 

OUT    ON   THE   PICKET   LINE. 

As  already  stated,  during  the  winter  we  were  en 
camped  at  Rappahannock  station,  our  picket  duty 
was  light.  And  as  there  was  evidently  no  enemy  in 
our  immediate  front,  this  duty  was  far  more  pleasant 
than  that  which  usually  falls  to  the  soldier's  lot. 
The  usual  rigor  and  discipline  was  much  relaxed. 
A  corporal  and  three  men  would  be  placed  upon  each 
post,  and  around  a  good  fire  of  oak  logs  the  hours 
passed  pleasantly  away.  The  practical  jokes  and 
fun  were  not  confined  to  the  camp,  but  were  often 
indulged  in  on  the  picket  line.  As  we  look  back  to 
those  months  we  smile  as  we  remember  how  often 
we  were  made  the  victims  of  our  comrades'  wit.  No 
opportunity  for  fun  was  ever  allowed  to  pass  unim 
proved,  no  matter  whether  the  victim  was  an  officer 
or  a  private.  There  was  an  officer  in  our  brigade 
who  was  distinguished  throughout  the  command  as 
an  ardent  admirer  of  "red  tape,"  or,  to  use  the 
phrase  coined  by  the  boys  for  the  occasion:  "He 
was  always  on  his  military."  When  this  officer  was 
in  command  of  the  picket  line  there  was  no  comfort 
or  rest  for  himself  or  any  other  person.  At  such 
times  he  evidently  comprehended  the  vast  responsi- 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAB.  145 

bilities  that  rested  upon  him,  and  acted  accordingly. 
He  would  be  up  at  all  hours  of  the  night,  prowling 
along  the  picket  line,  evidently  hoping  to  find  some 
luckless  fellow  asleep.  If  a  sentinel  failed  to  chal 
lenge  him,  as  laid  down  in  the  "tactics,"  woe  be 
unto  him.  He  would  not  allow  four  of  us  to  remain 
upon  a  single  post  and  relieve  each  other,  as  the 
other  officers  did.  The  regulation  plan  of  the  reliefs 
tramping  the  length  of  the  line  to  relieve  the  men 
each  two  hours  must  be  carried  out.  No  sentry  was 
allowed  to  have  a  fire  on  his  post,  and  the  reserve 
picket  forces  must  sleep  on  their  arms,  to  be  ready 
at  a  moment's  warning  in  case  the  enemy  should  ad 
vance.  Thus  for  three  days  and  nights  he  would 
strut  and  parade  along  the  picket  line,  and  each  man 
would  sputter,  growl  and  swear  at  such  a  display. 
Each  one  felt  inspired  to  vex  and  aggravate  him  as 
much  as  possible,  without  committing  any  act  for 
which  he  could  be  punished .  One  night,  in  the  month 
of  March,  1864,  I  was  on  picket,  and  this  officer  was 
in  charge  of  the  line.  He  had  established  his  head 
quarters,  with  the  reserve,  in  a  piece  of  oak  woods 
about  one-third  of  a  mile  in  rear  of  the  picket  line. 
For  two  days  he  had  been  in  charge,  making  it  just 
as  uncomfortable  as  he  could  for  the  men.  The  rain 
had  been  falling  in  torrents,  but  the  storm  had 
now  cleared  away.  The  stars  shone  down  through 
the  mists,  and  their  feeble  light  partially  dispelled 
the  darkness  and  gloom.  The  air  was  damp  and 
chilly,  and  a  thick  fog  enveloped  us  like  a  mantle. 
The  ground  was  soft  and  muddy.  This  officer  had 
passed  along  the  line  after  dark,  and  given  orders 


146  KEMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR. 

for  every  man  to  be  on  the  watch,  to  exercise  a 
double  caution,  for  he  had  no  doubt  but  that  Moseby's 
guerrillas  would  attack  our  line  before  morning.  The 
reserve  were  ordered  to  "  fall  in,"  and  were  then 
commanded  to  sleep  on  their  arms  and  be  ready  to 
repel  the  enemy.  Every  soldier  knew  that,  in  all 
probability,  there  was  not  a  rebel  within  ten  miles, 
and  that  this  was  only  an  exhibition  of  "  red  tape." 
My  relief  went  on  at  eleven  o'clock,  to  remain  two 
hours.  I  had  been  standing  in  the  darkness  about 
an  hour  when  a  soldier  on  the  adjoining  post  spoke 
my  name  in  a  low  voice.  I  went  to  where  he  was 
standing  and  found  that  he  was  a  recruit  who  had 
recently  joined  our  regiment,  and  that  this  was  his 
first  service  on  picket.  He  told  me  that  he  had  been 
standing  there  for  three  hours.  The  relief  must  have 
passed  him  in  the  darkness,  and  he  was  nearly  frozen. 
He  was  very  angry,  and  denounced  the  corporal  for 
thus  passing  him,  saying  it  was  simply  an  old  sol 
dier's  trick  played  upon  him  because  he  was  a  re 
cruit  ;  but  he  wanted  them  to  all  understand  that, 
although  he  had  just  enlisted,  he  was  not  a  simple 
ton.  When  he  had  finished  his  tirade,  he  asked  me 
what  would  be  the  most  effectual  method  of  arous 
ing  the  corporal  and  also  of  informing  the  command 
ing  officer  of  the  situation.  He  was  evidently  deter 
mined  to  have  the  corporal  court-martialed,  and  thus 
teach  the  old  soldiers  a  lesson.  I,  of  course,  gave 
him  the  information  he  needed,  and  informed  him 
that  if  he  should  fire  his  gun  he  would  probably 
arouse  the  corporal,  and  also  have  a  chance  to  state 
the  facts  to  the  officer  in  charge.  I  then  hastened 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR.  147 

back  to  my  post.  A  moment  after,  a  flash  of  fire 
glared  through  the  gloom,  there  was  the  sharp  crack 
of  a  rifle,  and  a  minie-ball  went  whistling  forth  in 
the  darkness.  For  a  moment  all  was  still,  and  then 
there  was  an  excitement.  Clear  and  shrill  I  heard 
the  officer's  voice  ring  out  through  the  forest,  "  Fall 
in  !  "  "  Fall  in  !  "  There  was  a  rattle  of  bayonets  as 
the  guns  were  hastily  taken  from  the  stacks,  and 
then  "  Forward !  "  "  Double-quick  !  "  "  March !  " 
and  one  hundred  men  under  the  command  of  this 
irrepressible  officer  came  dashing  out  toward  the 
picket  line.  The  officer  was  on  horseback,  and  his 
steed  sank  deep  in  the  mud  at  every  plunge.  In 
this  ludicrous  condition  they  bore  down  upon  the 
picket  post  where  I  was  standing.  There  was  no 
time  to  lose.  Twisting  the  laugh  from  my  features, 
I  prepared  for  the  desperate  work  of  halting  the 
charging  column,  and  with  all  my  power  yelled, 
"  Halt !  Who  comes  there  ?  "  The  officer  informed 
me  of  his  rank,  but  of  course  I  must  receive  the 
countersign  over  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  at  such  a 
perilous  time,  before  I  could  believe  him,  and  to  do 
this  he  must  dismount  in  the  mud.  He  gave  the 
magic  word,  and  then  inquired  about  the  firing.  I 
told  him  it  was  down  on  our  left,  and  that  evidently 
our  man  had  fired  at  some  object,  or  else  some  per 
son  had  fired  at  him.  In  a  moment  he  was  mounted 
and  leading  on  his  command.  Again  he  was  chal 
lenged,  this  time  by  the  offender  himself.  "Who 
fired  that  gun  ? "  roared  the  officer.  "  I  did,"  an 
swered  the  enraged  soldier.  "At  what  did  you 
fire?"  "Nothin',  sir,"  was  the  reply,  "only  I  have 


148  EEMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR. 

stood  here  three  hours  and  want  to  be  relieved." 
The  men  chuckled  aloud  with  laughter.  The  officer 
was  speechless  with  rage,  and  demanded,  "  How  long 
have  you  been  in  the  service  ?  "  "  Four  days,"  re 
sponded  the  veteran.  There  was  no  remedy.  The 
man  was  a  recruit  and  knew  no  better.  The  officer 
summoned  the  corporal  and  ordered  him  to  instruct 
the  man  how  he  could  be  relieved  from  his  duty 
without  firing  his  rifle.  He  then  rode  slowly  back 
to  his  tent,  and  we  all  fancied  that  from  that  hour 
he  was  more  of  a  man  than  he  had  ever  been  before. 

The  following  month,  four  of  us  were  stationed  for 
three  days  at  a  point  on  the  picket  line  where  a  phy 
sician  resided,  and  we  took  possession  of  his  stable, 
spread  our  blankets  upon  the  straw,  and  thus  had 
very  comfortable  quarters.  We  were  instructed  to 
protect  the  property  from  any  raid  our  soldiers  might 
make  upon  it.  The  physician  was  a  man  some  sixty 
years  old,  and  one  of  the  "chivalry"  in  every 
sense  of  the  word.  He  was  proud,  pompous,  and  a 
genuine  "  Secesh."  Once  in  a  while  he  would  come 
out  to  the  stable  and  chat  with  us.  He  did  not  at 
tempt  to  conceal  his  sympathy  with  the  South,  and 
would  talk  about  the  superiority  of  the  Southern 
troops,  and  of  the  certain  success  of  the  Confed 
eracy. 

We  replied  very  respectfully  to  his  insults,  but 
decided  that,  if  it  was  possible,  we  would  play  some 
joke  upon  him  before  we  were  relieved,  that  would 
give  him  reason  to  remember  us. 

In  calling  upon  his  patients  in  his  professional  work, 
he  drove  a  spirited  horse  harnessed  to  an  old-fashioned 


KEMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR.  149 

gig.  This  gig  was  a  clumsy  affair,  with  two  huge 
wheels  and  a  seat  long  enough  to  hold  three  persons. 
One  night  about  twelve  o'clock,  I  was  awakened  by 
Dick,  who  slept  by  my  side,  punching  his  fist  into  my 
ribs  and  saying,  "  We  have  got  him  ;  let's  get  up  and 
harness  the  old  doctor's  horse  into  the  gig  and  ride  into 
camp."  By  this  time  all  wer£  awake,  "Lord,  won't 
the  old  fellow  storm  when  he  finds  it  out?"  chuckled 
Mac,  and  we  began  to  make  arrangements  for  the 
ride.  Three  of  us  would  go,  and  the  fourth  would 
remain  on  guard.  We  must  leave  before  daylight,  or 
the  old  man  would  be  awake. 

The  old  carriage  was  taken  from  the  stable,  and 
the  wheels  with  noiseless  revolutions  rolled  through 
the  door-yard.  The  horse  was  led  around  by  a  back 
passage  so  that  his  steps  upon  the  yard  would  not 
awaken  his  owner.  The  old  harness,  patched  and 
tied  together  in  many  places,  was  taken  from  the  peg 
where  it  was  hanging,  an  old  whip  that  had  probably 
cracked  and  snapped  around  the  ears  and  heels  of  the 
slave  in  the  "  good  old  days,"  was  taken  from  a  beam 
where  we  had  observed  it  the  day  previous,  and  we 
began  to  prepare  for  the  forward  movement.  It  had 
been  so  long  a  time  since  we  had  harnessed  a  horse, 
that  our  movements  were  slow  and  awkward;  but 
after  a  time  our  perseverance  was  rewarded.  The 
horse  was  harnessed  and  all  was  ready.  Three  of  us 
mounted  to  the  seat,  the  reins  were  pulled  taut,  the 
whip  cracked  along  the  side  of  the  nag,  and  away  we 
went.  There  was  something  in  the  situation  that 
imparted  an  inspiration  of  joyous  excitement.  The 
horse  was  a  rapid  roadster,  the  roads  were  quite 


150  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAK. 

smooth,  and  we  made  remarkable  time.  We  decided 
that  it  would  be  best  for  us  to  reach  the  regiment 
about  the  time  of  morning  roll-call,  as  we  would 
make  quite  a  display  riding  into  camp  before  the 
whole  regiment.  So  we  rode  up  and  down  the  roads, 
talking  and  laughing,  while  our  horse  was  making 
his  best  time,  until  we  heard  the  regimental  bugle 
blow  for  roll-call. 

Just  as  they  were  breaking  ranks,  they  were  sur 
prised  by  seeing  us  drive  down  across  the  parade 
ground  at  a  three  minute  gait,  behind  a  smoking 
steed.  In  a  moment  they  took  in  the  whole  situa 
tion,  and  with  wild  cheers  three  hundred  men  made 
a  rush  for  us.  "  It  was  now  a  race  for  life."  The 
old  horse  displayed  speed  that  we  never  dreamed  he 
possessed.  Back  and  forth  between  the  charging 
lines  we  dashed ;  the  huge  wheels  seemed  to  smoke  as 
we  rushed  to  and  fro  over  the  parade  ground.  We 
turned  square  corners,  made  angles  and  described 
circles.  The  whip  cracked  and  cut  across  the  shoul 
ders  of  the  assailants  when  they  were  within  reach. 
We  cheered ;  the  carriage  creaked  and  groaned,  while 
the  horse  dashed  madly  on.  Our  line  of  communi 
cations  was  cut ;  we  were  flanked,  surrounded,  over 
powered,  but  would  not  yield.  We  were  turning  a 
square  corner  to  escape  the  enemy,  when  a  score  of 
them  caught  the  wheel  of  our  carriage,  and  in  a  mo 
ment  after  we  were  sprawling  upon  the  ground,  and 
the  horse  dashing  down  at  a  break-neck  rate  over  the 
rocky  hillside  toward  home,  while  the  air  was  filled 
with  pieces  of  the  carriage  and  harness.  The  boys 
gathered  us  up,  and  voted  on  the  spot  that  it  was  one 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  "WAK.  151 

of  the  most  remarkable  defenses  ever  made  in  the  his 
tory  of  the  war.  But  how  to  meet  the  doctor  was 
the  question  that  confronted  us ;  not  that  we  feared 
the  wrath  that  he  would  pour  upon  us,  but  he  per 
haps  would  report  the  matter  at  headquarters,  and 
the  officers  might  misunderstand  the  nature  of  the 
harmless  amusement  in  which  we  had  participated, 
and  punish  the  innocent  offenders. 

Fortune  favored  us.  In  our  company  was  a  ser 
geant,  whose  name  was  Joe,  brave,  witty,  generous, 
and  always  ready  for  any  emergency.  We  reported 
the  situation  to  him,  and  informed  him  of  the  disloyal 
sentiments  of  the  doctor.  He  studied  a  moment  and 
then  exclaimed,  "  By  Jove,  I  can  fix  him  !  "  His  ar 
rangements  were  rapidly  made ;  wearing  his  ser 
geant's  chevrons  and  side  arms,  and  having  tucked  a 
revolver  in  his  belt,  and  a  huge  package  of  papers  in 
his  breast  pocket,  and  having  secured  the  services  of 
three  of  the  boys,  who  were  to  accompany  him  with 
their  rifles,  we  all  glided  quietly  from  camp  without  at 
tracting  attention.  We  three  who  had  ridden  in  with 
the  doctor's  team  went  in  advance  along  the  road  that 
led  to  his  residence,  Joe  and  his  command  proceeding 
some  forty  rods  in  our  rear.  We  had  passed  over  two- 
thirds  of  the  distance  to  the  doctor's  house,  when  we 
saw  him  coming  with  long  rapid  strides.  He  recog 
nized  us,  and  of  course  began  to  give  vent  to  his  rage. 
"  You  unprincipled  Yankee  scoundrels,  horse  thieves, 
if  I  live  to  get  to  your  headquarters,  if  I  don't  punish 
you  for  this  outrage !  I,  an  honored  citizen  of  the 
State  of  Virginia,  to  be  thus  robbed  and  outraged  by 
you  Northern  vandals ! "  In  vain  we  endeavored  to 


152  REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR. 

reason  with  him,  and  offered  to  pay  him  for  all  the 
damage  done.  This  only  added  fuel  to  the  flames  of 
his  wrath.  At  this  moment,  a  sergeant  and  a  file  of 
soldiers  with  fixed  bayonets  arrived  upon  the  scene. 
The  physician,  noticing  that  he  Avas  an  officer  of  some 
grade,  poured  forth  his  tale  of  indignation  to  him. 
When  he  stopped  for  want  of  breath  to  proceed 
further,  Joe,  with  a  gravity  that  could  not  be  sur 
passed,  asked,  "  Is  this  Dr.  -  -  ?  "  u  Yes  sir,  that 
is  my  name,"  replied  the  other.  "  Then  sir,"  said  the 
sergeant,  placing  his  hand  upon  the  physician's 
shoulder,  "you  are  my  prisoner."  "  For  what?"  de 
manded  the  astonished  Virginian.  Joe,  with  the  im 
portance  of  a  commanding  general,  made  answer : — 

"  First :  for  treasonable  utterances  made  against 
the  United  States  Government. 

"  Second :  for  riding  several  times  to  the  enemy's 
lines,  and  giving  them  important  information  in  re 
gard  to  the  Union  army. 

"  Third :  entertaining  rebel  officers  or  spies  at  your 
house,  and  secreting  them  from  the  Union  soldiers." 

For  a  moment  the  old  fellow  was  dumbfounded. 
Joe,  with  solemn  gravity,  had  rattled  off  charge 
after  charge  in  such  a  manner  that  it  sounded  almost 
like  a  death  warrant.  The  doctor  then  protested  his 
innocence.  Joe  touched  the  bundle  of  papers  in  his 
pocket,  and  informed  him  that  he  had  all  the  proof 
he  needed.  The  doctor  then  admitted  that  he  had 
often  spoken  in  favor  of  secession,  that  once,  and 
but  a  few  weeks  before,  he  had  ridden  nearly  to  the 
rebel  camp,  to  visit  a  patient,  but  claimed  that  no 
rebel  officers  had  been  at  his  house  since  our  army 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  153 

had  advanced  the  previous  November.  The  tables 
were  turned,  and  he  began  to  beg.  He  would  do 
anything  in  the  world  if  the  officer  would  only  let 
the  matter  drop.  For  a  long  time  Joe  was  immova 
ble.  "An  unconditional  surrender"  was  his  only 
terms.  But  at  last  a  compromise  was  effected.  The 
doctor  was  to  return  home,  he  was  never  to  come 
inside  the  Union  lines  again  while  we  were  en 
camped  there,  and  if  any  officers  went  to  his  house 
or  came  in  contact  with  him,  he  was  never  to  men 
tion  the  matter  of  the  horse.  With  many  words  of 
counsel  as  to  his  future  conduct,  Joe  ordered  him  to 
be  released,  and  he  hastened  to  his  home.  We  fol 
lowed  him,  while  Joe  and  his  guard  returned  to 
camp.  The  doctor  never  mentioned  his  harness  and 
carriage  that  had  been  destroyed.  The  horse  was 
uninjured,  and  from  that  time  the  professional 
visits  were  made  on  horseback.  We  were  relieved 
on  the  following  day,  and  returned  to  camp,  and  I 
can  assure  my  readers  that  the  tents  of  Company  H 
rang  with  shouts  of  laughter  as  we  made  known  the 
adventure  of  Sergeant  Joe. 

Milk,  of  course,  was  a  luxury  in  the  army,  and 
many  were  the  expeditions  made  from  the  picket 
line  at  Rappahannock  station  to  secure  the  coveted 
article.  Having  learned  one  day  from  a  contraband 
that  came  within  our  lines  that  there  was  a  planta 
tion  about  three  miles  out,  where  several  cows  were 
kept,  two  of  us  arranged  to  go  out  and  secure 
some  milk.  The  only  possible  danger  was  that  we 
might  fall  in  with  some  of  the  rebel  cavalry,  who 
were  occasionally  scouting  in  that  vicinity  ;  but  we 


154  REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR. 

decided,  if  we  went  out  before  daylight,  that  even 
this  danger  would  be  removed,  and  so,  the  next 
morning,  about  four  o'clock,  two  of  us  sallied  forth. 
I  was  armed  with  a  camp  kettle  that  would  contain 
twenty  quarts.  My  companion  carried  his  rifle. 
The  distance  was  greater  than  we  anticipated,  and 
when  we  reached  the  plantation,  day  was  dawning. 
We  soon  ascertained  that  the  cows  were  in  a  yard 
near  the  house.  The  programme  was  for  me  to  en 
ter  the  yard  and  milk  the  cows,  while  Sam  was  to 
stand  guard,  and  give  the  alarm  in  case  of  danger. 
The  cows  were  wild,  and  some  little  time  was  con 
sumed  in  skirmishing  around  the  yard  before  I  could 
begin  to  milk.  My  position  was  such  that  my  back 
was  toward  the  house,  and  very  near  the  fence  that 
inclosed  the  yard.  I  was  meeting  with  great  suc 
cess,  and  several  quarts  of  the  precious  fluid  already 
repaid  me  for  my  industry.  I  was  thinking  of  the 
rebel  cavalry,  when,  in  the  dim,  gray  light  of  morn 
ing,  a  huge  form  towered  upon  the  fence  above  me, 
and  sprang  with  terrific  force  to  my  side,  and  at  the 
same  moment  a  loud,  unearthly  yell  saluted  my  ears. 
I  thought  Moseby,  and  his  whole  gang  of  cut-throats 
were  upon  us.  I  sprang  to  my  feet,  upset  the  pail, 
rushed  through  the  herd  of  astonished  cattle, 
climbed  the  fence,  and  dashed  toward  the  picket 
line.  After  I  had  run  an  eighth  of  a  mile,  I  thought 
of  Sam.  I  looked  around,  expecting  to  see  a  squad 
of  the  enemy  following  me,  but  to  my  surprise  saw 
Sam  coming,  roaring  with  laughter,  and  motioning  for 
me  to  return.  I  returned,  and  demanded  the  cause 
of  my  alarm.  Poor  Sam  could  only  roll  on  the 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  155 

ground  and  ejaculate  between  his  bursts  of  laughter, 
"It  is  so  good,  so  good."  After  a  time  I  learned 
that  while  I  was  milking,  a  colored  lady  of  gigantic 
proportions  had  come  out  of  the  house  with  a  milk- 
pail,  and  proceeded  to  the  yard.  Sam,  from  his  out 
look,  saw  her,  but  she  did  not  know  of  our  presence. 
Sam  saw  that  she  intended  to  climb  the  fence  near 
where  I  was  milking,  and  decided  that  it  would  be  a 
grand  chance  to  settle  some  old  scores  with  me,  and 
so,  when  she  descended  from  her  elevated  position,  he 
had  given  me  the  benefit  of  the  yell.  It  had  oper 
ated  in  a  double  capacity,  for  the  negress  had  rushed 
to  the  house  in  a  fright  while  I  was  running  away. 
We  returned  to  the  yard,  and  secured  some  milk. 
Sam  promised  me  most  solemnly  that  the  boys  in 
camp  should  never  hear  of  it,  but  before  the  close  of 
that  day  it  was  known  to  every  man  in  the  regiment. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

THE   WILDERNESS    CAMPAIGN    OPENED. 

THE  spring  of  1864  was  a  memorable  period  in  the 
history  of  the  army  of  the  Potomac.  It  had  been 
thoroughly  reorganized  and  consolidated,  and  was 
greatly  inspired  by  the  intelligence  that  Lieutenant- 
General  Grant  was  to  make  his  headquarters  with 
the  army  of  the  Potomac  in  the  coming  campaign. 
We  had  never  seen  this  general,  whose  wonderful 
campaign  in  the  southwest  had  given  him  a  world 
wide  reputation,  but  we  had  great  faith  in  his  ability, 
and  rejoiced  to  know  that  he  was  to  lead  us  to  battle. 
The  army  was  in  good  condition,  healthy,  well  fed, 
and  full  of  enthusiasm. 

It  was  an  inspiring  scene  at  Rappaharmock  station 
on  the  first  day  of  May,  when  we  broke  camp  and 
marched  forth  to  enter  upon  the  spring  campaign. 
Several  regiments  had  been  added  to  our  brigade, 
which  was  commanded  by  General  Bartlett.  Our 
division  was  under  the  command  of  General  Griffin, 
while  General  Warren  commanded  the  corps.  It  was 
a  beautiful  morning ;  summer  was  blushing  in  its  new 
born  beauty ;  the  sun  shone  warm  and  bright  from 
the  soft  blue  sky,  the  air  was  warm  and  balmy ; 
the  birds  were  singing  their  sweetest  songs;  and 
all  nature  smiled  in  peace  and  loveliness.  Man,  who 
prides  himself  as  being  the  noblest  work  of  the  Crea- 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAR.  157 

tor,  was  the  only  being  that  seemed  to  be  out  of 
harmony,  for,  in  the  midst  of  all  that  was  peaceful 
and  joyous,  he  was  preparing  for  strife  and  sorrow. 
On  every  hand  were  indications  of  the  bloody  strug 
gle  about  to  open;  bands  were  playing  warlike 
music ;  the  shrill,  keen  notes  of  the  bugles  were  ring 
ing  out  over  the  hillsides  and  down  through  the 
meadows ;  long  lines  of  soldiers  were  forming  the 
ranks  of  war ;  banners  were  waving ;  and  soldiers 
cheering  as  the  general  officers  rode  along  the  lines. 
Our  brigade  crossed  the  river  on  pontoon  bridges  at 
Rappahannock  station,  and  marched  to  a  camping 
ground  east  of  Brandy  station,  where  the  Fifth  corps, 
now  composed  of  thirty  thousand  men,  was  being  con 
centrated.  The  army  was  all  being  rapidly  marshaled, 
and  we  knew  that  a  most  desperate  battle  was  soon 
to  be  fought.  Our  men  were  anxious  for  the  cam 
paign  to  open,  hoping  it  would  be  the  last  one  of  the 
war.  General  Grant's  presence  gave  the  men  such 
an  inspiration  that  their  enthusiasm  was  almost  irre 
sistible. 

On  the  fourth  of  May,  upon  pontoon  bridges,  we 
crossed  the  Rapidan  river,  a  dark,  swift-rolling  stream 
of  water,  and  entered  a  huge,  dense  forest  of  pine 
trees.  It  was  a  proud  and  yet  a  solemn  spectacle  to 
see  that  great  army  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thou 
sand  men  entering  that  dense  forest  to  encounter  a 
desperate  enemy,  they  knew  not  where.  We  passed 
the  old  battle-field  of  Chancellorsville,  and  were  pain 
fully  reminded  of  the  great  struggle  that  raged  there 
one  short  year  before.  We  crossed  a  section  of  the 
line  of  battle  held  by  the  rebels  at  that  time.  As  we 


158  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAK. 

passed  by  where  a  rebel  battery  had  been  stationed, 
we  saw  small  piles  of  railroad  iron  cut  into  pieces  some 
twelve  inches  in  length,  which  they  frequently  fired 
from  their  cannon  when  their  stock  of  shells  became 
exhausted.  They  were  grim  reminders  of  the  wel 
come  we  should  probably  receive  in  a  few  hours  from 
the  hands  of  the  Southern  soldiers.  That  night  we 
encamped  on  the  Orange  and  Fredericksburgh  turn 
pike,  near  the  old  Wilderness  tavern.  We  under 
stood  that  we  must  be  near  the  rebel  army,  but  not 
an  enemy  had  been  seen,  and  not  a  gun  had  been 
fired.  The  picket  lines  were  established.  The  sun 
sank  from  view,  and  the  weary  soldiers  lay  down 
upon  the  ground  to  rest.  The  tall  dark  pines  bo  wed 
and  waved  their  heavy  plumes  in  the  evening  breeze, 
and  all  was  quiet.  In  nature  we  observe  that  a 
peaceful  calm  often  precedes  the  most  fearful  storm, 
and  thus  it  was  with  the  elements  of  strife  in  the 
wilderness. 

On  the  fifth  of  May  we  were  awake  at  an  early 
hour.  It  was  a  beautiful  morning.  The  rising  sun 
sent  its  rays  of  light  down  like  golden  needles 
through  the  tops  of  the  pine  trees.  Little  fires  were 
kindled,  our  coffee  was  quickly  boiled,  and  we  sat 
down  to  our  rude  breakfasts  with  appetites  such  as 
are  unknown  in  lives  of  luxury  and  ease.  The  men 
were  all  in  excellent  spirits,  but  it  was  an  easy  task 
to  distinguish  a  contrast  in  their  dispositions.  Some 
were  laughing  and  cracking  their  jokes  about  hunt 
ing  for  the  Johnnies  through  the  forest,  of  the 
grand  times  we  should  have  marching  down  to 
Richmond  and  entering  the  rebel  capital,  how  when 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  159 

the  war  was  over,  "  we  would  hang  Jeff  Davis  to  the 
sour  apple  tree,"  and  then  go  marching  home. 
Another  class  more  thoughtful  and  equally  brave 
were  lying  upon  the  ground  silent,  alone,  thoughtful, 
with  compressed  lips,  seeming  not  to  notice  what 
was  transpiring  around  them.  They  were  thinking 
of  wives  and  little  ones  far  away,  and  wondering  if 
they  would  ever  see  them  again.  Others  were  lean 
ing  against  the  trees,  writing  letters  to  their  loved 
ones  at  home.  It  was  well  that  they  did  this,  for 
before  the  sun  went  down  that  day,  some  of 
them  were  cold  in  the  embrace  of  death.  Cavalry 
men  soon  came  back  with  the  thrilling  intelligence 
that  General  Lee's  army  in  great  force  was  rapidly 
advancing.  There  was  no  time  to  lose.  The  field  of 
battle  which  our  commanding  generals  selected, 
stretched  its  length  for  six  miles  through  that  great 
forest. 

The  trees  were  all  cut  down  for  a  distance  of  some 
ten  rods  in  front  of  the  line,  and  their  trunks 
trimmed  of  all  their  branches,  and  piled  up  for 
breastworks,  from  behind  which  we  would  give 
the  enemy  a  warm  reception.  Building  the  breast 
works  required  but  a  few  hours'  work,  and  before 
twelve  o'clock  they  were  completed.  General  War 
ren  rode  along  our  lines,  and  was  received  with  the 
most  enthusiastic  cheering.  At  noon  we  again 
boiled  our  coffee  and  ate  our  hard-tack.  The  Sixth 
corps,  under  the  command  of  General  Sedgwick, 
joined  us  on  our  right,  while  our  left  was  to  connect 
with  the  Second  corps,  commanded  by  General  Han 
cock.  At  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  our  division 


160  REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR. 

was  ordered  to  advance,  and  attract  the  attention  of 
the  enemy,  while  the  left  of  our  line  of  battle  was 
fortifying  its  position.  Our  third  brigade  occupied 
the  center  of  the  division. 

This  brigade  was  formed  in  two  lines  of  battle, 
our  regiment  being  in  the  second.  When  the  order 
was  given  to  advance,  the  three  brigades  forming 
the  division  went  forward  on  the  double-quick, 
cheering  as  they  charged.  We  soon  encountered 
the  enemy,  and  pressed  his  advanced  lines  back  upon 
his  reserve.  The  ground  was  covered  with  a  second 
growth  of  pine  trees,  stunted  and  covered  with 
limbs,  many  of  which,  dry  and  dead,  came  nearly  to 
the  ground.  Seldom,  if  ever,  was  a  battle  fought 
under  such  circumstances.  The  rebels  evidently 
knew  but  little  of  our  force,  position  and  intention, 
and  it  is  safe  to  say  we  knew  less  of  theirs ;  and 
thus  the  two  great  masses  of  men  were  hurled 
against  each  other.  The  rebels  fought  like  demons, 
and  under  cover  of  the  dense  underbrush  poured 
deadly  volleys  upon  us.  The  air  was  filled  with 
lead.  Minie  bullets  went  snapping  and  tearing 
through  the  pine  limbs ;  splinters  flew  in  every  di 
rection  ;  trees  were  completely  riddled  with  bullets 
in  a  moment's  time  ;  blood  ran  in  torrents ;  death 
lost  its  terror;  and  men  for  a  time  seemed  trans 
formed  to  beings  that  had  no  fear.  Major  Spear, 
aided  by  the  field  and  line  officers,  gallantly  led  the 
regiment  on.  Our  lines  were  broken.  It  was  a  dis 
organized  battle ;  every  man  fought  for  himself  and 
by  himself,  but  all  faced  the  enemy  with  heroic  dar 
ing,  and  were  determined  that  the  tide  of  victory 


BEMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAR.  161 

should  set  on  the  Union  side.  With  remorseless 
determination  the  rebels  poured  their  deadly  fire 
upon  our  men,  and  they,  with  irresistible  power, 
pressed  back  the  foe.  The  rebels  retreated  across  a 
small  field  that  had  been  cleared  in  the  heart  of  the 
great  forest,  and  reforming  their  lines  in  the  edge  of 
the  woods  prepared  to  receive  us.  By  this  time  our 
regiment  had  worked  its  way  well  up  to  the  front 
line.  General  Bartlett,  in  person,  led  our  brigade 
in  its  charge  across  the  field.  As  we  stood  for  a 
moment  and  looked  upon  that  field,  and  saw  where 
the  bullets  were  falling  into  the  dried  soil,  and  the 
little  clouds  of  dust  arising  so  thickly,  we  were  re 
minded  of  heavy  drops  of  rain  falling  just  before  the 
shower  comes  in  its  full  force. 

The  order  was  given  to  charge.  The  right  of  our 
regiment  now  rested  upon  the  turnpike  ;  and  across 
the  field  we  dashed.  Zip,  zip,  zip,  came  the  bullets 
on  every  side.  The  field  was  nearly  crossed.  We 
dashed  up  a  little  swell  of  land  on  its  farthest  side 
and  were  under  the  shadow  of  the  trees.  A  red  vol 
cano  yawned  before  us  and  vomited  forth  fire,  and 
lead,  and  death.  Our  lines  staggered  for  a  moment, 
but  with  desperate  resolution  our  men  threw  them 
selves  upon  the  enemy's  guns.  It  was  not  child's 
play,  but  more  like  a  conflict  of  giants.  North  and 
South  arrayed  against  each  other,  man  against  man. 
The  sons  of  the  Pine  Tree  State  crossed  bayonets 
with  those  who  were  reared  under  the  orange  groves 
of  the  far  South.  The  rifle  barrels  touched,  as  from 
their  muzzles  they  poured  death  into  each  others 
faces;  the  ground  shook  with  the  roar  of  musketry; 


162  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

the  forest  trees  were  flaming  with,  fire,  and  the  air 
was  loaded  with  death.  Foot  after  foot  the  rebels 
retreated,  their  gray  forms  mantled  with  fire  as  they 
went.  Slowly  and  steadily  we  advanced,  giving 
blows  with  a  mailed  hand  as  we  pursued  the  foe. 
What  a  medley  of  sounds, — the  incessant  roar  of  the 
rifle ;  the  screaming  bullets ;  the  forest  on  fire  ;  men 
cheering,  groaning,  yelling,  swearing,  and  praying ! 
All  this  created  an  experience  in  the  minds  of  the 
survivors  that  we  can  never  forget. 

The  right  of  our  regiment  reached  a  small  field, 
while  our  left  was  buried  in  the  forest  beyond.  Major 
Spear  ordered  our  colors  to  advance  into  the  open  field, 
and  the  regiment  to  form  upon  them  ;  but  just  as  this 
movement  was  being  executed,  we  received  a  sharp 
and  fatal  volley  from  our  right  and  rear.  We  at  first 
supposed  the  brigade  upon  our  right  had  mistaken 
us  for  the  enemy,  and  had  fired  through  mistake ; 
but  Major  Spear  was  informed  at  that  moment  that 
the  Sixth  corps  had  failed  to  connect  with  our  divis 
ion,  and  consequently  the  brigade  upon  our  right  had 
fallen  back,  and  the  enemy  was  in  our  rear.  Our 
only  way  of  escape  was  by  the  left  flank,  while  each 
man  worked  his  way  back  to  the  breastworks.  It 
was  a  very  narrow  escape  for  us,  and  it  was  only  by 
a  quick,  daring  dash  that  we  escaped  from  the  snare 
in  which  we  found  ourselves.  The  regiment  regained 
the  line  of  breastworks,  losing  heavily  in  killed  and 
wounded,  but  capturing  many  prisoners.  Company 
H  entered  the  battle  with  thirty  men,  and  came  out 
with  eighteen. 

Many   deeds   of  daring   were   done   that   day  by 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  163 

members  of  our  regiment,  which,  if  all  recorded, 
would  fill  a  large  volume.  I  will  only  mention  a 
few  that  have  come  to  my  knowledge.  Captain 
Walter  G.  Morrill,  of  Company  B,  discovering  that 
the  enemy  was  coming  down  upon  our  right  flank, 
marshaled  a  fragment  of  his  own  company,  and  a 
few  men  from  other  commands,  formed  a  little  line 
of  battle  -along  the  turnpike,  and  for  some  minutes 
held  a  large  force  of  the  rebels  in  check.  It  is 
doubtful  if  the  brave  captain  would  have  retreated 
at  all,  if  a  minie-ball  had  not  gone  crashing  through 
his  face,  and  hurled  him  to  the  ground.  Regaining 
his  feet,  he  bound  a  handkerchief  around  his  face, 
and  continued  to  fight  until  he  was  blinded  and 
choked  with  blood,  when  his  brave  men  assisted  him 
to  the  rear.  Three  of  our  men  in  a  clump  of 
bushes,  saw  a  dozen  rebels  close  upon  them.  They 
called  upon  them  to  surrender,  and  the  "  Johnnies," 
not  mistrusting  for  a  moment  how  small  the  Yankee 
force  was,  threw  down  their  guns,  and  were  brought 
within  our  lines. 

Lieutenant  Melcher,  whose  company  was  the  left 
of  our  regiment,  did  not  learn  that  we  were  flanked, 
and  with  a  small  squad  of  men  continued  to  advance 
until  he  discovered  that  the  firing  was  all  in  his  rear. 
Then  he  went  out  on  the  turnpike  and  looked  in  the 
direction  of  the  breastworks,  and  saw  a  line  of  rebel 
infantry  stretched  across  the  road  behind  him.  He 
went  back  to  his  men,  told  them  of  the  situation, 
and  mustered  his  force.  He  found  that  he  had  fifteen 
men,  among  whom  were  Sergeants  Smith,  of  Com 
pany  F,  and  Rogers,  of  Company  H.  A  council  of 


164  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

war  was  held.  They  must  decide  to  do  one  of  three 
things :  continue  to  advance  and  capture  Richmond ; 
remain  where  they  were  and  be  taken  prisoners ;  or 
cut  their  way  through  the  rebel  line  of  battle  and 
rejoin  their  regiment  at  the  breastworks.  Not  a 
single  man  would  listen  to  the  thought  of  surrender. 
Some,  I  think,  would  have  dared  to  make  the  ad 
vance  upon  Richmond.  It  was  finally  decided  to 
cut  their  way  through  the  enemy's  line,  and  escape. 
It  was  a  dangerous  undertaking,  but  they  were  men 
who  dared  to  face  danger  and  death.  With  loaded 
rifles  and  fixed  bayonets  they  moved  with  noiseless 
tread  toward  the  rebel  line.  They  were  guided  by 
the  firing,  which,  however,  had  much  abated,  and 
soon  through  the  pine  trees  they  caught  a  glimpse  of 
the  rebels.  With  a  yell  the  little  band  charged  upon 
a  force  that  could  have  brought  a  regiment  to  con 
tend  with  each  man  in  that  little  squad.  There  was 
a  flash  and  a  roar.  Melcher's  voice  was  heard  calling 
upon  them  to  surrender.  The  rebels,  of  course,  were 
surprised,  and  their  line  was  broken  and  divided. 
The  squad  of  fifteen  lost  two  or  three  men  in  the 
shock,  but  swept  on  to  our  line  of  battle,  bearing 
with  them  thirty  prisoners,  which  they  had  torn  from 
the  rebel  line  in  their  mad  charge. 

Sitting  in  Alderman  Melcher's  pleasant  parlor,  in 
Portland,  a  short  time  since,  talking  over  that  event 
ful  day,  I  was  shown,  among  other  relics  of  the  war, 
a  receipt  dated  May  5th,  1864,  given  by  the  Provost 
Marshal  of  our  division  to  Lieutenant  Melcher  for 
the  thirty  rebel  prisoners  he  turned  over  to  our  pro 
vost  guard  on  that  day. 


EEMINISCENCES    OF   THE  "WAR.  165 

Before  daylight,  on  the  morning  of  May  6th,  our 
line  again  advanced  upon  the  rebels.  Our  regiment 
was  at  this  time  at  the  left  of  the  turnpike,  with  our 
left  flank  resting  upon  it.  We  quickly  learned  that 
the  enemy  was  prepared  to  receive  us.  Minie-balls 
came  singing  spitefully  from  the  thickets  in  our 
front ;  their  batteries  also  opened  upon  us,  and  shells 
went  crashing  and  tearing  through  the  trees.  We 
were  at  close  quarters  with  the  rebels,  and  they  had 
an  excellent  range  of  our  position.  We  were  or 
dered  to  halt,  and  lay  under  their  fire  all  day.  Late 
in  the  afternoon  a  fearful  battle  was  raging  upon  our 
right ;  the  enemy  had  massed  his  forces  upon  the 
Sixth  corps,  and  was  evidently  determined  to  drive 
it  back  from  its  position.  Suddenly  there  was  a 
wild,  fearful  yell,  a  terrific  crash,  and  the  tide  of  bat 
tle  rolled  backward.  A  portion  of  the  Sixth  corps 
had  given  way,  and  the  enemy  followed  up  the  ad 
vantage  thus  gained,  until  they  had  completely 
turned  our  flank,  and  the  firing  was  almost  in  our 
rear.  Some  of  the  regiments  in  our  brigade  showed 
signs  of  alarm  at  this  situation,  but  the  sons  of  Maine 
were  determined  to  hold  their  position,  even  if  they 
were  surrounded  and  destroyed  in  so  doing.  The- 
enemy's  advance  on  our  right  was  finally  checked, 
and  our  line  was  re-established.  At  dark  we  were 
relieved  and  went  back  to  our  breastworks  to  re 
main  for  the  night.  The  next  morning  we  again  ad 
vanced.  Our  regiment,  with  the  One  Hundred  and 
Eighteenth,  was  ordered  to  charge  in  upon  the  enemy. 
We  drove  their  skirmish  line  rapidly  back,  and  soon 
came  to  the  line  of  battle,  which  was  strongly  forti- 


166  REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR. 

fied  and  supported  by  artillery.  We  were  not  strong 
enough  to  carry  them  by  assault,  but  under  the  mur 
derous  fire  they  were  pouring  upon  us,  we  deployed 
a  skirmish  line,  reformed  a  line  of  battle,  and  re 
turned  their  fire  as  well  as  we  could.  On  this  day 
we  lost  a  number  of  our  brave  men.  Lieutenant  Lane 
was  wounded  in  the  head  by  a  piece  of  shell,  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  enemy,  and  died  a  few  days  after 
ward.  Lieutenant  Sherwood  was  wounded  and  died 
before  the  next  morning.  That  night  the  army  moved 
in  the  direction  of  Spottsylvania,  our  regiment  and 
the  One  Hundred  and  Eighteenth  remaining  until 
midnight,  when  we  rapidly  followed  them.  In  these 
three  days'  battles  our  regiment  had  lost  about  one 
hundred  and  twenty-five  men  in  killed  and  wounded. 
One  of  the  latter  thus  describes  the  situation  in  the 
Wilderness,  as  it  came  under  his  own  observation  : 

At  the  critical  moment  of  the  first  day's  battle  in 
the  Wilderness,  when  brave  Sergeant  Crocker  had 
gallantly  carried  our  colors  out  into  the  open  field, 
just  as  Major  Spear  received  the  order  to  retreat,  I 
was  wounded,  a  minie-ball  passing  through  my  left 
ankle.  It  is  impossible  to  describe  the  sensations 
experienced  by  a  person  when  wounded  for  the  first 
time.  The  first  intimation  I  had  that  I  was  wounded 
was  my  falling  upon  the  ground.  My  leg  was  numb 
to  my  body,  and  for  a  moment  I  fancied  that  my 
foot  had  been  carried  away ;  but  I  soon  learned  the 
true  condition  of  my  situation.  Our  regiment  was 
rapidly  retreating,  and  the  rebels  as  rapidly  advanc 
ing.  The  forest  trees  around  me  were  on  fire,  and 
the  bullets  were  falling  thick  and  fast.  If  I  re- 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  167 

mained  where  I  was,  the  most  favorable  result  that 
I  could  hope  for  was  captivity,  which,  in  reality, 
would  be  worse  than  death  by  the  bullet  on  the 
field. 

I  stood  up,  and,  to  my  joy,  found  that  my  leg  was 
not  entirely  useless.  I  could  step  with  it,  and  so 
long  as  it  remained  straight  I  could  bear  my  weight 
upon  it,  but  when  bent  at  the  knee  it  refused  to 
bear  me  up,  and  I  would  fall  to  the  ground.  Under 
existing  circumstances  I  determined  to  retreat.  I 
threw  off  all  my  baggage  and  equipments,  and 
turned  my  face  toward  the  line  of  breastworks, 
which  we  had  that  morning  built.  Fear  lent  wings 
to  my  flight,  and  away  I  dashed.  Frequently  my 
wounded  leg  would  refuse  to  do  good  service,  and  as 
a  result  I  would  tumble  headlong  upon  the  ground, 
then  rising,  I  would  rush  on  again,  and  I  doubt  if 
there  has  been  a  champion  on  the  sawdust  track  in 
Maine  for  the  last  five  years  who  has  made  such  a 
record  of  speed  as  I  made  on  that  retreat  through 
the  Wilderness.  In  my  haste  I  did  not  keep  so  far 
to  my  right  as  I  should  have  done,  and  consequently 
was  obliged  to  cross  the  lower  end  of  the  field  over 
which  we  had  made  our  charge.  It  was  a  sad  spec 
tacle,  that  lonely  field  in  the  forest.  Here  and 
there  a  wounded  man  was  limping  painfully  to  the 
rear  ;  dead  men,  and  others  wounded  too  severely 
to  move,  were  scattered  thickly  upon  the  ground. 

As  I  was  crossing  the  lower  corner  of  the  field,  to 
my  surprise  and  horror  the  rebel  line  of  battle  came 
out  on  its  upper  edge,  some  quarter  of  a  mile  from 
where  I  was  running.  Almost  at  the  same  moment 


168  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAK. 

the  rebels  appeared  in  the  field.  A  Union  officer, 
whom  I  have  always  supposed  to  be  General  Bart- 
lett,  our  brigade  commander,  also  came  out  into  the 
field,  not  twenty  rods  from  the  rebel  line.  He  was 
on  horseback ;  not  a  staff  officer  was  with  him ;  his 
uniform  was  torn  and  bloody ;  blood  was  trickling 
from  several  wounds  in  his  face  and  head ;  he  had 
evidently  been  up  to  discover  why  our  line  of  battle 
had  not  connected  with  the  Sixth  corps.  The  rebels 
saw  him,  the  moment  he  emerged  from  the  forest,  and 
called  upon  him  to  surrender,  while  a  wild  yell  rang 
along  their  line  as  they  saw  their  fancied  prize.  But 
they  did  not  know  the  roan  with  whom  they  had  to 
deal.  Shaking  his  fist  at  them  in  defiance,  he  put 
spurs  to  his  horse  and  dashed  away.  He  was  a  tar 
get  for  every  rifle  in  the  rebel  line.  Five  hundred 
guns  were  pointed  at  him,  and  five  hundred  bullets 
whistled  around  him,  the  enemy  pursuing  as  they 
fired.  It  was  a  brilliant  ride  for  life,  with  all  the 
odds  against  the  daring  rider.  Bravely  he  rode  in 
the  midst  of  that  storm,  as  if  death  had  no  terror  for 
him.  His  steed  was  a  noble  animal,  and  at  a  three- 
minute  gait  bore  his  master  from  his  pursuers.  Each 
seemed  to  bear  a  charmed  life.  Over  one-half  the 
distance  across  that  field  had  been  passed,  and  yet 
the  rider  sat  erect  upon  the  steed  that  was  bearing 
him  onward  with  such  tremendous  speed.  A  deep 
ditch  must  be  crossed  before  they  could  gain  the 
cover  of  the  forest.  A  ditch  dug  many  years  before, 
five  or  six  feet  deep,  and  ten  or  twelve  in  width. 
The  rebels  knew  the  ditch  was  there,  and  sent  up  a 
wild  yell  of  delight,  as  they  fancied  the  officer  would 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE   WAR.  169 

be  delayed  in  crossing,  and  so  fall  into  their  hands. 
The  horse  and  rider  evidently  saw  the  obstacle  at 
the  same  moment  and  prepared  to  meet  it.  Firmly 
the  rider  sat  in  his  saddle,  and  gathered  the  reins  of 
his  horse  with  a  firm  hand.  I  never  beheld  a  nobler 
spectacle  than  that  presented  by  the  gallant  steed — 
his  nostrils  dilated,  his  ears  pointed  forward,  his 
eyes  seeming  to  flash  with  the  fire  of  conscious 
strength  as  he  made  the  fearful  leap.  For  a  moment 
I  thought  they  were  safe,  but  rebel  bullets  pierced 
the  horse,  and  turning  a  complete  somersault  he  fell 
stone  dead,  burying  his  rider  beneath  him  as  he  fell. 
Again  the  rebels  cheered  and  rushed  on,  but  to  my 
surprise,  the  officer,  with  the  assistance  of  a  few 
wounded  soldiers,  extricated  himself  from  his  dead 
horse,  ran  across  the  edge  of  the  field,  and  made  his 
escape.  I  also  entered  the  woods  and  continued  to 
run  at  the  top  of  my  speed  until  I  reached  the 
breastworks,  where  I  found  our  line  of  battle.  I 
passed  beyond  these  and  went  back  a  mile  or  more 
to  our  division  hospital  in  the  rear. 

Many  wounded  men  had  already  arrived.  The 
surgeons  were  busily  at  work.  Rough  tables  had 
been  erected  under  the  trees  around  the  house  where 
the  hospital  had  been  established.  Wounds  were 
dressed  and  limbs  amputated  with  a  fearful  rapidity. 
Only  the  most  serious  cases  were  attended  to. 
Groans  and  shrieks  filled  the  air  as  the  fearful  work 
went  on.  Those  were  terrible  hours.  How  plainly 
they  are  pictured  upon  my  mind !  Of  course  my 
wound  would  receive  no  attention  where  there  were 
so  many  others  of  a  dangerous  character.  Under  a 


170  KEMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAK. 

tree,  without  a  blanket,  I  lay  and  listened.  The  line 
of  battle  was  now  well  formed,  and  the  conflict  was 
raging  in  all  its  horror.  How  can  I  describe  it  ? 
For  a  few  moments,  perhaps,  all  would  be  quiet; 
then  upon  the  right,  where  the  Sixth  corps  was  in 
line,  there  would  be  a  yell,  followed  by  a  terrific 
musketry  fire  lasting  for  ten  minutes,  while  all  along 
the  remainder  of  the  line  there  would  be  silence ; 
then  suddenly  a  volley  on  the  left ;  then  all  along 
the  entire  line,  until  it  seemed  as  if  the  Wilderness 
itself  throbbed  under  the  terrible  concussions.  Thus 
the  battle  raged  that  afternoon  and  night,  the  day 
and  night  that  followed  them,  and  the  succeeding 
day.  At  times  the  firing  would  seem  to  be  falling 
back,  the  volleys  appearing  nearer  and  nearer;  then 
the  tides  would  change  and  roll  back  in  the  other 
direction.  All  the  time  wounded  men  were  stream 
ing  back  from  the  line  of  battle,  and  such  rumors  as 
were  in  circulation  in  regard  to  the  situation  of  the 
army.  One  wounded  man  would  say  :  "  Just  as  I 
was  wounded  there  came  a  report  that  Lee  had 
seized  the  fords  in  our  rear,  and  there  is  no  way  to 
escape ; "  another  would  come  back  with  the  story 
that  the  rebel  army  had  flanked  our  line  of  battle, 
and  was  in  our  rear, — scores  of  reports,  all  different, 
and  yet  all  agreeing  that  our  army  was  outgeneraled, 
and  that  we  were  defeated.  We  thought  of  our  com 
rades  who  had  perished  by  hundreds,  of  the  North 
ern  homes  to  be  made  sorrowful  when  the  intelli 
gence  reached  them  of  their  death  and  of  our  defeat. 
We  had  expected  so  much  from  General  Grant,  and 
now  he  was  to  be  defeated  as  other  generals  before 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR.  171 

him  had  been.  We  forgot  our  wounds,  in  the  midst 
of  these  sorrowful  thoughts,  and  many  of  those  brave 
men  wept  like  schoolboys  over  the  grave  situation. 

The  third  night  came,  and  instinctively  we  all 
knew  that  some  great  movement  was  being  made. 
The  night  was  very  dark  and  gloomy.  Orders  came 
for  the  wounded  to  be  placed  on  board  the  ambu 
lances  and  baggage  wagons,  as  the  army  was  to 
move.  The  few  ambulances  were  properly  reserved 
for  the  use  of  those  who  were  the  most  seriously 
wounded.  Thirteen  of  us  were  placed  in  a  baggage 
wagon  drawn  by  six  mules.  We  were  informed 
that  our  destination  was  Fredericksburgh,  and  that  no 
cavalry  could  be  spared  from  the  army  to  guard  us 
from  attacks  by  the  rebel  guerrillas.  Consequently 
rifles  were  placed  in  the  wagons,  and  every  man  who 
had  two  sound  hands  was  expected  to  use  a  rifle  in 
case  an  attack  should  be  made. 

The  work  of  loading  the  wounded  was  a  long  and 
tedious  one.  Many  of  them,  who  would  doubtless 
have  recovered  if  they  could  have  remained  quiet, 
and  been  cared  for,  were  placed  in  the  ambulances, 
and  in  riding  over  the  rough  road  the  arteries  of 
their  amputated  limbs,  hastily  and  imperfectly  se 
cured,  would  break  forth  again,  and  the  precious 
life  would  soon  ebb  out  through  the  crimson  tides. 

Slowly  the  long  train  of  wagons,  laden  with  its 
suffering  freight  of  wounded  humanity,  took  up  its 
line  of  march.  The  road  was  rough  and  uneven ; 
the  pine  trees  stood  thickly  by  the  way  on  either 
side,  and  clasping  hands  above,  formed  a  dark  green 
canopy  over  us.  As  we  jolted  wearily  on,  the  old 


172  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

army  of  the  Potomac  was  moving  in  the  opposite 
direction,  guided  by  a  master's  hand.  It  has  ob 
tained  a  grip  upon  the  throat  of  the  Confederacy,  a 
grip  that  will  not  be  relaxed  until  treason  gasps  and 
dies. 


CHAPTER   X. 

THE    BATTLE   OF    SPOTTSYLVANIA. 

GENERAL  WARREN'S  corps  was  to  lead  in  the  ad 
vance  from  the  battle-field  of  the  Wilderness  to 
Spottsylvania  Court  House,  and  at  nine  o'clock  in 
the  evening  of  May  7th,  his  columns  were  in  motion. 

Our  regiment  was  for  a  brief  time  detached  from 
the  brigade,  and  remained  upon  the  picket  line  after 
our  division  had  moved  from  its  old  position  to  take 
up  its  line  of  march  to  Spottsylvania,  which  was 
about  thirteen  miles  southeast  of  the  battle-ground 
in  the  Wilderness.  At  one  o'clock  in  the  morning 
of  May  8th,  we  were  withdrawn  from  the  picket 
line,  and  proceeded  to  follow  them.  It  was  with 
sad  hearts  that  we  turned  from  the  field,  where  for 
three  days  had  rolled  the  tides  of  war.  Eighteen 
thousand  of  our  brave  men  had  fallen.  A  large  por 
tion  of  these  had  been  sent  to  the  rear,  wounded, 
and  the  remainder  were  resting  in  soldiers'  graves, 
beneath  the  tangled  thickets  of  the  pine  forest  where 
they  had  fallen.  It  was  sad  to  think  of  the  brave 
fellows  who  had  crossed  the  Rapidan  and  entered 
the  Wilderness  but  a  few  days  before,  so  full  of  life 
and  activity,  now  cold  and  lifeless — mustered  out 
forever.  But  such  is  war,  and  we  distinctly  under 
stood  that  we  were  marching  to  other  fields  of  strife, 
where  the  atmosphere  would  be  impregnated  with  a 


174  KEMINISCENCES   OF   THE    WAK. 

thousand  clangers,  where  we  would  meet  death  in  its 
most  bloody  form.  The  morning  was  dark,  the  road 
was  rough,  and  our  advance  was  necessarily  slow. 
The  men  moved  on  in  silence,  but  few  words  were 
spoken,  each  seemed  busied  with  his  own  thoughts. 
The  steel  shanks  of  the  bayonets  rattled  against  the 
canteens,  and  occasionally  a  horse's  iron-shod  hoof 
would  clang  against  a  rock;  aside  from  this,  nothing 
was  heard  but  the  irregular  and  ceaseless  tramp  of 
the  men,  as  the  weary  column  pressed  on. 

Daylight  dawned,  and  as  the  sun  arose  we  were 
reminded  of  the  fact  that  this  was  the  Christian 
Sabbath,  a  day  made  memorable  and  sacred  by  the 
resurrection  of  the  Prince  of  Peace,  and  that  those 
whom  he  died  to  save  were  here  engaged  in  deadly 
war.  At  the  hour  when  the  sacred  stillness  of  that 
beautiful  Sabbath  was  being  broken  by  the  clang 
ing  peals  of  the  church  bells  in  our  Northern  com 
munities,  the  stillness  of  that  morning  at  Spottsyl- 
vania  was  broken  by  the  thunders  of  the  artillery  of 
General  Longstreet's  corps,  as  they  opened  a  deadly 
fire  upon  the  advanced  brigades  of  General  Warren, 
as  they  emerged  from  the  forest  in  battle  line  at 
Alsop's  farm,  upon  the  high,  open  plain,  two  miles 
from  Spottsylvania  Court  House.  General  Lee  had 
anticipated  that  some  movement  was  about  to  be 
made  by  General  Grant,  and  had  thrown  Long- 
street's  corps,  now  commanded  by  General  Ander 
son,  out  to  Spottsylvania,  to  check  the  advance  of 
the  army  of  the  Potomac,  should  it  be  made  in  that 
direction ;  and  this  was  the  force  with  which  Gen 
eral  Warren  had  come  in  contact.  General  Robin- 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAE.  175 

son,  commanding  our  advance,  promptly  returned 
the  enemy's  fire,  but  he  was  soon  severely  wounded, 
and  his  men  were  pressed  back.  General  Warren 
soon  arrived,  and  with  great  gallantry  rallied  his 
men,  reformed  their  line,  and  checked  the  enemy's 
advance.  The  army  of  the  Potomac,  and  the  coun 
try  at  large,  are  under  great  obligations  to  General 
Warren,  who,  by  personal  daring,  prevented  what, 
for  a  time,  seemed  to  be  a  fatal  disaster  to  the 
Union  cause. 

The  Fifth  corps  was  soon  in  position,  and  held  the 
enemy  in  check  until  the  Sixth  corps,  under  Sedg- 
wick,  came  up.  Our  regiment  arrived  at  the  scene 
of  conflict  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning.  We  had 
heard  for  hours  the  roar  of  battle,  and  knew  that 
our  comrades  had  encountered  the  enemy.  We 
learned  upon  our  arrival  that  our  own  brigade  had 
been  desperately  engaged,  and  had  suffered  a  severe 
loss.  We  changed  our  position  several  times  on 
that  day.  At  different  periods  we  formed  to  charge, 
and  would  then  be  withdrawn.  At  six  o'clock  in 
the  evening  we  were  again  pushed  up  to  the  front, 
where  our  lines  were  being  formed,  to  assault  the 
enemy's  position  near  Laurel  hill.  The  troops  were  in 
three  lines,  our  regiment  being  in  the  third.  It  was 
the  design  of  our  commander  to  make  the  assault 
under  the  cover  of  darkness,  but  unknown  to  us,  the 
rebels  were  also  preparing  to  make  an  assault,  and 
just  at  dark,  when  forms  could  be  but  indistinctly 
discerned  at  a  short  distance,  there  was  a  heavy 
crash  of  musketry,  and  a  wild,  savage  yell,  as  they 
rushed  upon  our  first  line  of  battle,  which  soon  gave 


176  REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR. 

s  way  and  fell  back  upon  the  second.  The  confusion 
was  indescribable ;  it  was  only  with  the  greatest  dif 
ficulty  that  we  could  tell  friend  from  foe.  As  we 
rushed  up  to  reinforce  our  comrades,  the  glare  of 
the  guns  revealed  to  us  the  desperate  character  of 
the  conflict.  Just  as  we  reached  the  battle,  our 
men  gave  way  and  fell  back,  leaving  us  in  the 
breach  thus  made.  The  rebels  came  on  with  terri 
ble  energy,  to  follow  up  the  advantage  they  had 
thus  gained.  Their  advance  was  almost  irresistible, 
and  our  regiment  was  borne  back  for  a  short  distance 
by  the  force  of  the  enemy's  advance.  We  were 
alone ;  the  other  regiments  had  all  fallen  back  ;  our 
men  were  in  just  the  right  mood  to  fight, — weary, 
hungry,  discouraged,  mad.  In  such  a  condition  it  is 
as  easy  to  die  as  to  run,  and  so  they  decided  to  hold 
their  position  until  ordered  to  leave  it.  We  were 
outnumbered,  flanked,  almost  surrounded;  there 
were  rebels  in  front  of  us,  on  both  flanks,  and  to  the 
rear  of  us;  it  was  an  easy  task  to  find  a  rebel  any 
where.  The  situation  was  as  desperate  as  any  we 
occupied  during  the  war,  but  officers  and  men  alike 
were  determined  to  fight,  to  sell  their  lives  as  dearly 
as  possible,  a  willing  sacrifice  upon  the  altar  of  the 
country  they  loved. 

It  was  a  struggle  at  close  quarters,  a  hand-to-hand 
conflict,  resembling  a  mob  in  its  character.  The 
contestants  for  a  time  seemed  to  forget  all  the  noble 
and  refined  elements  of  manhood,  and  for  that  hour 
on  Laurel  hill  they  were  brutes,  made  wild  with  pas 
sion  and  blood,  engaged  in  a  conflict  as  deadly  and 
fierce  as  ever  raged  upon  the  continent.  Men  were 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR.  177 

transformed  to  giants,  the  air  was  filled  with  a  med 
ley  of  sounds,  shouts,  cheers,  commands,  oaths,  the 
sharp  reports  of  rifles,  the  hissing  shot,  dull,  heavy 
thuds  of  clubbed  muskets,  the  swish  of  swords  and 
sabers,  groans  and  prayers,  all  combining  to  send  a 
thrill  of  excitement  and  inspiration  to  every  heart. 
Many  of  our  men  could  not  afford  the  time  neces 
sary  to  load  their  guns,  the  situation  being  too  des 
perate  for  that,  but  they  clubbed  their  muskets  and 
fought.  Occasionally,  when  too  sorely  pressed,  they 
would  drop  their  guns,  and  clinch  the  enemy  in  sin 
gle  combat,  until  Federal  and  Confederate  would  roll 
upon  the  ground  in  the  death  struggle.  Our  officers 
all  fought  like  demons.  The  revolvers  and  swords, 
which  up  to  that  hour  had  never  seen  actual  service, 
here  received  their  baptism  of  blood.  Every  man 
in  that  little  band  was  a  hero  of  whom  his  native 
state  may  well  be  proud.  The  enemy  evidently  did 
not  comprehend  how  weak  we  were,  for  if  they  had, 
with  their  vastly  superior  force,  it  would  have  been 
an  easy  matter  to  have  captured  us  all.  As  the  mo 
ments  passed  the  valor  of  the  men  increased  ;  many 
of  those  who  were  wounded  refused  to  go  to  the 
rear,  but  with  the  blood  pouring  from  their  wounds 
continued  to  fight.  And  thus  blue  and  gray  fought 
for  victory.  Upon  the  one  side  was  the  hot,  brilliant, 
fiery  blood  of  the  South  fighting  for  slavery  and  the 
Confederacy ;  upon  the  other  was  the  naturally  cool 
and  sluggish  blood  of  the  distant  North,  now  in 
flamed  to  a  boiling  heat  as  it  fought  for  liberty  and 
the  union  of  states.  The  lumberman  of  the  North 
crossed  bayonets  with  the  Southern  planter,  and 
*8 


178  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

both  lay  down  to  die  together.  At  last,  to  our  great 
joy  and  surprise,  the  enemy  fell  back,  leaving  us  vic 
tors  upon  the  field,  and  also  leaving  a  large  number 
of  prisoners  in  our  hands.  When  our  wounded 
went  back  to  the  rear,  after  the  conflict  ended,  they 
found  a  picket  line,  and  line  of  battle  formed  in  our 
rear,  but  their  officers  would  hardly  believe  that  our 
regiment  was  out  in  their  front.  We  established  a 
picket  line  of  our  own,  while  our  noble  fellows  lay 
down  to  sleep  upon  the  ground  where  they  had  so 
bravely  fought.  Silent  and  motionless  lay  the  dead 
and  the  living  through  the  remaining  hours  of  the 
night.  At  daylight  we  were  relieved,  and  ordered 
to  the  rear.  Bearing  our  dead  comrades  with  us 
to  a  place  where  we  could  give  them  a  soldier's 
burial,  we  marched  to  the  position  assigned  us, 
having  won  much  honor  and  praise  from  our  com 
manding  generals  for  the  gallant  conduct  we  had 
displayed.  Our  loss  had  been  heavy.  Brave  Captain 
Morrell  had  fallen  dead  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight, 
Lieutenants  Melcher  and  Prince  had  been  wounded, 
and  many  others  had  been  killed  and  wounded  in 
our  battle  on  Laurel  hill,  but  this  bloody  strife 
was  only  the  beginning  of  that  which  was  to  soon 
follow — only  the  battle  in  embryo. 

The  two  great  armies  of  Grant  and  Lee  were  once 
more  facing  each  other.  The  North  and  South  had 
each  placed  their  greatest  army  under  the  command 
of  their  greatest  leader,  and  were  watching  the  re 
sult  with  breathless  anxiety.  Like  gladiators,  these 
two  leaders  were  watching  each  other,  to  seize,  if 
possible,  some  advantage.  Lee,  keen,  quick,  skillful, 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAB.  179 

perfectly  familiar  with  every  hill,  valley  and  road  in 
the  country  where  he  was  fighting,  with  the  advan 
tage  of  being  on  the  defensive,  holding  his  forces 
well  in  hand,  was  at  the  head  of  an  army  which,  for 
the  sacrifices  they  made,  and  the  bravery  displayed, 
has  not  been  excelled  in  the  present  century.  Grant, 
cool,  silent,  persistent,  with  that  stubborn,  bull-dog 
tenacity  that  has  so  distinguished  him,  had  the  seri 
ous  disadvantages  of  being  in  a  country  comparatively 
unknown  to  him,  and  obliged  to  carry  on  an  offen 
sive  campaign.  He  was  equal  to  the  emergency, 
and  with  an  ability  that  astonished  the  world,  he 
marshaled  those  great  army  corps,  and  successfully 
carried  them  through  that  unparalleled  campaign. 

As  our  line  of  battle  was  formed,  on  the  ninth  of 
May,  General  Hancock  with  the  Second  corps  was 
on  our  right,  Warren  with  the  Fifth  corps  was  in  the 
center,  Sedgwick,  in  command  of  the  Sixth,  held  the 
left,  and  General  Burnside,  with  the  Ninth,  was  at 
the  left  of  Sedgwick.  This  day  was  spent  in  in 
trenching  our  position.  There  was  a  little  skirmish 
ing  and  some  firing  by  the  sharpshooters.  It  was  a 
sad  day,  however,  for  the  Union  army,  for  on  this 
day  we  lost  one  of  our  ablest  corps  commanders. 
General  Sedgwick  was  at  the  front  as  usual,  superin 
tending  the  erection  of  his  fortifications,  when  he 
was  shot  dead  by  a  rebel  sharpshooter.  He  was  be 
loved  by  all  the  army,  and  his  death  cast  a  deep 
gloom  upon  all.  The  command  of  his  corps  then  de 
volved  upon  General  Wright.  The  tenth  was  an 
eventful  day.  Early  in  the  morning  the  gallant 
Hancock  had  captured  a  portion  of  the  Confederate 


180  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAR. 

wagon  train,  had  gained  an  advanced  position  in 
the  enemy's  front,  and  was  about  to  press  his  ad 
vance  still  further,  but  General  Meade  had  deter 
mined  to  storm  the  enemy's  position  on  Laurel  hill, 
and  the  assaulting  column  was  to  be  composed  of  the 
Fifth  and  Sixth  corps.  An  attack  was  made  upon 
this  position  of  the  enemy,  at  eleven  o'clock,  by  the 
brigades  of  Webb  and  Carroll,  and  again,  at  three  in 
the  afternoon,  by  the  divisions  of  Crawford  and  Cut 
ler.  These  were  but  the  preliminary  struggles,  and 
in  both  our  men  were  repulsed.  At  five  o'clock  the 
greater  attempt  to  carry  the  strong  position  of  the 
enemy  was  made.  The  Fifth  and  Sixth  corps  fought 
together;  they  struggled  manfully  up  the  side  of 
the  steep,  rough  hill,  whose  crest  was  crowned  with 
the  rebel  forces  ;  they  penetrated  the  enemy's  breast 
works  in  one  or  two  places,  but  were  finally  over 
powered  and  hurled  down  the  hillside  in  defeat. 
Again  they  charged,  and  were  again  repulsed  with 
fearful  loss.  Down  on  our  left,  at  a  later  hour,  two 
brigades  of  the  Sixth  corps  charged  the  enemy's  po 
sition  in  their  front,  captured  a  line  of  breastworks, 
nearly  one  thousand  prisoners,  and  several  pieces  of 
artillery.  Darkness  came  on,  and  the  battle  ceased 
to  rage.  It  had  been  a  bloody  day ;  our  losses  had 
been  fearful,  and  we  had  gained  no  decided  advan 
tage  over  the  enemy.  Under  such  circumstances, 
many  other  leaders  would  have  thought  of  retreat 
ing  from  a  campaign  where  in  six  days'  time  he  had 
lost  nearly  thirty  thousand  men ;  but  in  that  gloomy 
situation  General  Grant  never  for  a  moment  faltered 
or  despaired  of  ultimate  victory,  and  that  evening 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR.  181 

he  wrote  that  memorable  dispatch  to  the  Secretary 
of  War,  closing  with  that  historic  sentence  that  so 
thrilled  the  heart  of  the  anxious  country :  "  I  PRO 
POSE  TO  FIGHT  IT  OUT  ON  THIS  LINE  IF  IT  TAKES, 
ALL  SUMMER." 

The  eleventh  was  a  day  of  heavy  skirmishing ;  a 
sharp,  irregular  fire  ran  along  the  lines.  It  was  evir 
dent  to  all  that  preparations  were  being  made  by  our 
commanders  to  assault  some  position  in  the  enemy's 
line.  In  the  afternoon  it  began  to  rain  in  torrents, 
and  the  night  that  followed  was  dark  and  drear.  It 
was  whispered  along  the  line,  that  evening,  that  Gen 
eral  Hancock  was  to  lead  an  assaulting  column  upon 
tho  enemy's  position.  We  all  knew  that,  if  the  report 
was  true,  there  would  be  warm  work,  for  of  all  the 
gallant  generals  in  the  army  of  the  Potomac,  there 
was  not  one  more  brilliant  and  brave  than  General 
W.  S.  Hancock,  and,  if  such  an  assault  was  to  be 
made,  he  was  the  man  to  undertake  it.  Grant  de 
cided  that  this  blow  should  fall  upon  Lee's  right  cen 
ter,  which  he  considered  to  be  the  most  vulnerable 
point  in  his  whole  line.  At  midnight  General  Han 
cock  with  his  gallant  corps  left  his  position  on  our 
right,  and  moved  through  the  darkness,  guided  by 
the  compass,  and  took  a  position  between  the  Sixth 
and  Ninth  corps,  and  there  waited  until  the  hour 
should  arrive  when  the  blow  should  be  given.  His 
corps  was  formed  in  two  lines  of  battle  ;  the  first  was 
composed  of  the  divisions  of  Barlow  and  Birney,  the 
second,  of  Gibbon  and  Mott.  At  the  appointed  hour, 
through  a  dense  fog,  moving  swiftly  and  with  noise 
less  tread  over  a  rough  ground  covered  with  a  thick 


182  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

wood,  he  made  the  movement.  He  struck  the  rebel 
line  at  a  salient  point  of  an  earthwork,  where  John 
son's  division  of  Swell's  corps  was  intrenched.  With 
wild  cheers  the  commands  of  Barlow  and  Birney 
threw  themselves  upon  the  rebel  line.  The  enemy 
was  completely  surprised,  and  the  battle  was  of  short 
duration.  Generals  Johnson  and  Stewart,  with  the 
entire  division  of  over  three  thousand  men,  were 
made  prisoners,  also  thirty  pieces  of  artillery  and 
many  colors,  were  captured. 

The  historian  records  a  singular  incident  that 
occurred  on  that  memorable  morning.  General 
Stewart,  at  the  outbreak  of  the  rebellion,  belonged 
in  Baltimore,  and  was  an  old  army  friend  of  Gen 
eral  Hancock.  When  the  former  was  captured,  Han 
cock  cordially  offered  his  hand  to  the  prisoner,  and 
exclaimed,  "How  are  you,  Stewart?"  The  haughty 
rebel,  in  a  most  absurd  manner,  refused  to  accept 
his  hand,  and  replied,  "  I  am  General  Stewart  of  the 
Confederate  army,  and  under  the  circumstances  I 
decline  to  take  your  hand."  The  gallant  Hancock 
instantly  rejoined,  "  Under  any  other  circumstances, 
General,  I  should  not  have  offered  it."  We  after 
ward  learned  that,  in  that  charge,  we  had  nearly  cap 
tured  General  Lee  and  severed  his  army  in  twain. 
Hancock's  men  pursued  the  flying  rebels  for  a  mile 
in  the  direction  of  Spottsylvania  Court  House, 
until  they  were  checked  by  the  fugitives  who  had 
rallied  behind  an  unfinished  line  of  breastworks. 
Rebel  reinforcements  quickly  arrived  from  the  corps 
of  Longstreet  and  Hill,  and  Hancock's  men  were 
pushed  back  to  the  line  of  works  they  had  captured. 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAR.  183 

Lee  instantly  resolved  to  retake  the  position  he  had 
lost,  and  Grant  was  determined  to  hold  the  advan 
tage  he  had  gained.  Our  troops  opened  fire  all  along 
the  line,  to  prevent  the  enemy  from  concentrating 
his  forces  to  crush  Hancock.  Charge  after  charge 
was  made  by  the  troops  of  Burnside  and  Warren,  but 
the  enemy's  position  was  so  strong  that  it  could  not 
be  carried.  In  the  meantime  the  storm  of  war  was 
raging  desperately  around  Hancock,  and  Griffin's 
division  of  Warren's  corps  was  sent  to  his  relief. 
Five  times  in  rapid  succession  did  General  Lee  hurl 
his  massed  forces  upon  Hancock,  to  retake  the 
breastworks  that  Johnson  and  Stewart  had  lost. 
The  combatants  fought  desperately,  hand  to  hand, 
and  at  times  the  flags  of  both  North  and  South  were 
planted  upon  the  breastworks  simultaneously,  and 
within  a  short  distance  of  each  other.  The  carnage 
on  both  sides  was  most  fearful,  but  the  rebels  were 
each  time  repulsed.  Although  the  rain  poured  down 
in  torrents,  General  Lee  would  not  give  up  the  idea 
of  recapturing  the  line  he  had  lost. 

The  afternoon  passed,  and  midnight  came  before 
the  shattered  lines  of  the  enemy  were  withdrawn  at 
the  close  of  a  combat  that  had  raged  for  twenty 
hours.  Lee  was  defeated  and  Hancock  was  left  in 
possession  of  the  field  and  artillery  that  he  had  so 
gloriously  won.  Thus  ended  the  battle  of  Spott- 
sylvania,  which  was  one  of  the  most  desperate  and 
bloody  of  the  war.  It  had  been  fought  principally 
by  the  infantry,  and  at  such  short  range  that  the 
carnage  had  been  fearful.  Probably  there  was  no 
battle  of  the  war  where  the  conflict  was  for  so  long 


184  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

a  time  carried  on  at  close  quarters  as  at  Spottsyl- 
vania.  Could  those  old  forest  trees,  seared  and 
scarred  by  the  missiles  and  flames  of  war,  speak  and 
tell  this  generation  of  the  scenes  they  witnessed  in 
those  eventful  days,  relate  the  deeds  of  valor,  the 
reckless  courage,  the  terrible  sacrifice  of  life,  tell 
how  men  suffered  and  died  to  preserve  the  constitu 
tion,  it  would  kindle  such  a  flame  of  intense  loyalty 
in  the  hearts  of  the  American  people  that  the  old 
flag  would  be  secure  from  the  attacks  of  all  enemies 
for  generations  to  come. 

Our  regiment  moved  to  the  left,  at  ten  o'clock  in 
the  evening  of  the  13th.  We  marched  all  night  in 
the  mud  and  rain,  and  were  pushed  close  up  to  the 
enemy's  front,  near  the  Court  House,  where  we  re 
mained  until  the  20th.  What  bitter  days  those  were  ! 
I  need  not  remind  my  old  comrades  of  them,  for  their 
events  are  burned  in  upon  our  life's  experience,  and 
can  never  be  forgotten.  Constant  skirmishing  was 
raging  all  along  our  line ;  we  were  ever  on  the  alert 
to  repulse  any  attack  the  rebels  might  make ;  there 
was  no  rest ;  minie-balls  were  ever  singing  through 
the  air ;  a  steady  stream  of  men,  wounded  and 
dead,  were  borne  to  the  rear.  Officers  can  tell  you 
truthfully,  and  in  eloquent  terms,  of  the  movements 
of  our  army  through  that  memorable  battle,  and  the 
days  that  followed ;  they  can  tell  you  of  the  bravery 
of  our  soldiers  and  of  the  glorious  victories  they  won. 
But  if  you  desire  to  listen  to  the  true  suffering,  sac 
rifices  and  hardships  of  that  fearful  battle,  talk  not 
with  them  alone,  but  rather  sit  down  with  him  who 
carried  the  rifle  and  endured  the  brunt  of  battle,  with 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  185 

the  soldier  who  slept  in  the  mud  behind  the  breast 
works,  with  his  equipments  buckled  around  him  and 
his  hand  upon  his  trusty  rifle,  or  with  him  who  stood 
out  011  the  skirmish  line,  wearied,  hungry,  wet,  cold, 
and  almost  ready  to  drop  to  the  ground  from  fatigue, 
and  yet  who  through  those  long  hours  maintained  his 
lonely  vigils  and  watched  the  stealthy  foe.  Those 
men  had  an  experience  in  the  sufferings  and  sacri 
fices  of  war  of  which  men  in  official  positions  know 
comparatively  nothing.  Grand  men  !  I  never  meet 
them  now  but  that  I  feel  like  raising  my  hat  and 
greeting  them  with  veneration  and  respect. 

On  the  nineteenth,  General  Grant,  being  convinced 
that  Lee's  positions  could  only  be  carried  with  a  ter 
rible  loss  of  life,  determined  to  make  another  flank 
movement  to  the  left,  and  thus  oblige  the  rebel  com 
mander  to  evacuate  his  elaborate  line  of  defenses. 
General  Lee,  mistrusting  that  such  a  movement 
would  be  made,  determined  to  prevent  it,  if  possible, 
and  for  this  purpose  he  suddenly  threw  General 
Swell's  corps  upon  the  right  of  our  army,  which  had 
been  much  weakened  by  the  withdrawal  of  troops. 
This  position  was  held  by  General  Tyler's  division 
of  heavy  artillery,  who  were  guarding  our  line  of 
communications  from  Spottsylvania  to  Fredericks- 
burgh.  Ewell  swept  down  upon  this  road  in  great 
force,  and  attempted  to  capture  our  wagon  train, 
but  Tyler's  men  made  a  most  desperate  defense. 
These  men  had  just  been  taken  from  the  forces 
around  Washington,  and  had  never  been  under  fire 
before,  but  they  fought  like  veterans,  although  they 
did  not  use  the  caution  that  men  do  who  have  often 


186  REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR. 

been  under  fire,  and  so  lost  heavily.  They  repulsed 
Ewell,  and  captured  several  hundreds  of  prisoners, 
before  the  detachments  of  the  Fifth  and  Sixth,  sent 
to  their  relief,  could  reach  them.  This  was  the  last 
fighting  that  took  place  around  Spottsylvania.  The 
wounded  were  sent  back  to  Fredericksburgh,  and  the 
dead  were  buried  as  well  as  we  could  possibly  bury 
them.  Another  flanking  movement  was  begun. 
Hancock's  corps  and  General  Torbett's  cavalry 
moved  in  the  advance,  early  in  the  morning  of  the 
twenty-first,  and  soon  the  whole  army  was  marching 
in  the  direction  of  the  North  Anna  river.  Over 
thirty  thousand  of  our  men  were  sent  to  the  rear, 
and  left  upon  the  battle-field  where  we  had  fought 
since  the  campaign  opened,  but  the  tireless  brain  of 
Secretary  Stanton  had  organized  twice  that  number 
of  recruits  in  the  various  Northern  States,  and  his 
strong  arm,  made  almost  superhuman  by  the  re 
sponsibility  of  his  position,  was  pushing  these  men 
rapidly  to  the  front,  to  replete  the  shattered  ranks. 
The  eyes,  not  merely  of  all  the  American  people,  but 
of  the  civilized  world,  were  now  turned  upon  the 
two  great  leaders,  Grant  and  Lee,  as  with  their  huge 
armies  they  contended  for  their  respective  govern 
ments.  But  the  suffering  was  not  all  confined  to 
the  army  and  the  soldiers,  but  pervaded  the  whole 
land  north  and  south ; — so  many  homes  being  shad 
owed  by  mourning,  so  many  hearts  being  filled  with 
woe  for  the  slain  who  had  fallen  upon  those  ensan 
guined  fields !  May  God  save  the  nation  from  an 
other  experience  like  that ! 


CHAPTER  XL 

NORTH  ANNA  TO  THE  JAMES. 

THIS  was  to  us  a  memorable  march — one  that  is 
very  difficult  for  me  to  describe.  It  is  not  so  much 
my  desire  to  give  the  movements  of  the  several  army 
corps,  through  those  eventful  days,  as  to  give  some  of 
the  experiences  of  a  private  soldier  who  toiled  on  in 
the  ranks. 

For  nearly  three  weeks  we  had  been  under  an  un 
ceasing  fire.  The  days  had  been  long  and  tedious, 
and  the  nights  had  been  passed  in  marching,  fight 
ing,  and  sleepless  activity.  Of  course  our  ranks  had 
been  most  sadly  thinned  by  the  ravages  of  the  cam 
paign,  the  regiment  itself  being  now  reduced  in  size 
to  the  appearance  of  a  company,  while  the  brigade  was 
but  a  skeleton  of  its  former  strength.  The  men  in  the 
ranks  did  not  look  as  they  did  when  they  entered 
the  Wilderness ;  their  uniforms  were  now  torn,  rag 
ged,  and  stained  with  mud ;  the  men  had  grown  thin 
and  haggard ;  the  experience  of  those  twenty  days 
seemed  to  have  added  twenty  years  to  their  age.  I 
wish  that  I  could  truthfully  picture  the  scene  as  we 
are  closing  the  march  on  one  of  those  sultry  days. 
We  have  marched  full  thirty  miles ;  the  day  has 
been  one  of  those  so  heated  that  the  atmosphere 
seemed  close  and  stifling  like  that  of  an  oven ;  the 
sun  has  disappeared,  and  the  stars  are  beginning  to 


188  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAB. 

twinkle  down  through  the  gathering  gloom.  With 
slow  and  irregular  steps  our  men  are  moving  wearily 
on,  seemingly  unconscious  of  everything  around 
them.  Colonel  Spear  gives  the  command,  "  By  the 
right  of  companies,  to  the  rear  into  column."  The 
regiment  in  obedience  to  the  command,  breaks  into 
companies.  Then  the  word,  "  Halt,"  "  Halt,"  "  Halt," 
sounds  through  the  regiment,  as  the  various  com 
pany  commanders  give  their  respective  orders.  Then 
the  orders,  "  Front  face,"  "  Order  arms,"  "  Fix  bayo 
nets,"  "  Stack  arms,"  "  Break  ranks,"  follow  each 
other  in  rapid  succession.  Our  equipments  are  hung 
upon  the  stacks  of  rifles,  our  haversacks  and  blankets 
are  thrown  upon  the  ground,  and  we  are  to  rest  for 
the  night.  If  the  company  musters  fifteen  men  at 
the  roll-call  when  we  halt,  it  is  above  an  average 
number,  for  many  of  the  men  have  fallen  out,  unable 
to  keep  in  the  ranks.  Just  at  this  moment  an  order 
comes  to  the  orderly-sergeant  to  make  a  detail  of  five 
men  for  picket,  who  are  to  report  to  the  adjutant's 
tent  in  ten  minutes,  and  one-third  of  our  weary  men 
are  thus  detailed  to  go  out  on  the  picket  line  for  the 
night,  where  they  can  expect  to  obtain  neither  rest 
nor  sleep.  Of  the  ten  who  remain  in  the  company, 
five  at  least  are  so  footsore  and  weary  that  they  are 
entirely  unable  to  do  anything  in  making  prepara 
tions  for  their  evening  meal,  but  fall  upon  the  hard 
ground  to  rest,  as  gladly  as  the  weary  child  sinks 
into  its  mother's  arms.  The  remainder  go  in  search 
of  wood  and  water;  they  soon  return  with  a  few 
fence  rails  and  well-filled  canteens,  and  then  the 
cooking  operations  begin. 


REMIJSttSCENCES   OF  THE   WAR.  189 

There  was  nothing  very  elaborate  in  our  cooking 
apparatus.  A  black  tin  cup  or  pail  sufficed  for  the 
coffee-pot,  and  were  held  patiently  over  the  fire 
until  their  contents  reached  a  boiling  point.  If  we 
were  fortunate  enough  to  have  rations  of  meat,  they 
were  easily  disposed  of.  Salt  pork  was  eaten  raw, 
with  a  keen  relish;  fresh  beef  was  broiled  on  the 
coals,  and  was  considered  as  one  of  the  luxuries.  An 
hour  was  usually  consumed  around  the  little  camp- 
fires,  at  the  close  of  a  day's  march,  in  preparing  and 
eating  our  suppers.  Those  who  were  too  weary  to 
assist  in  obtaining  the  wood  and  water  are  cordially 
invited  to  make  free  use  of  them,  and  if  they  are 
unable  to  do  that,  their  comrades  boil  their  coffee  for 
them,  and  assist  them  all  in  their  power.  We  always 
used  to  draw  an  inspiration  from  the  cup  of  hot  cof 
fee,  and  after  supper  there  would  be  joking,  talking, 
and  laughter,  reminding  us  of  the  old  days  at  Rap- 
pahannock  station.  Our  beds  were  not  "  downy  beds 
of  ease,"  to  say  the  least ;  and  I  shall  always  believe 
that  the  soil  of  Virginia  is  at  least  several  degrees 
harder  than  that  of  any  other  State  in  the  Union. 
We  always  found,  when  we  camped  for  the  night, 
that  the  ground  would  not  adapt  itself  to  our  wants ; 
there  was  always  a  hummock  where  we  wanted 
a  hollow,  and  a  hollow  where  it  was  desirable  to  have 
a  hummock,  and  no  matter  how  frequently  we 
changed  positions,  the  result  was  always  the  same.  I 
never  knew  whether  this  strange  phenomenon  was 
due  to  the  geological  formation  of  the  country,  or  to 
the  fact  that  the  sacred  soil  itself  was  so  hostile  to 
the  Yankees  who  were  desecrating  it,  that  it  was  de- 


190  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

termined  to  add  to  our  misery.  I  only  know  that  we 
twisted  and  turned  ourselves  in  all  sorts  of  shapes, 
as  we  vainly  endeavored  to  put  ourselves  in  harmony 
with  those  hollows  and  hummocks. 

We  were  usually  awakened  a  great  many  times 
through  the  night.  Frequently  a  roar  of  conflict  from 
the  skirmish  line  would  be  borne  back  to  us,  and 
we  would  be  called  to  arms  for  the  purpose  of  repel 
ling  the  enemy  if  he  should  advance ;  then  the  firing 
would  die  away,  and  we  would  just  get  asleep, 
when  we  would  be  awakened  by  some  one  giving  us 
a  vigorous  kick.  This  would  come  in  so  peremptorv 
a  manner,  that  we,  in  our  half  awakened  condition, 
would  suppose  that  it  must  be  given  by  some  person 
having  unusual  authority,  then  we  would  rub  our  eyes 
and  ask,  "  What  is  wanted  ?  "  and  some  lazy  old  strag 
gler,  who  was  looking  for  his  regiment,  would  ask,  "  Is 
this  the  One  Hundred  and  Seventy-fifth  New  York  ?" 
Under  such  circumstances  it  would  be  a  fortunate 
thing  for  the  old  bummer  that  we  could  not  reach 
our  rifle.  One  night,  after  a  most  outrageous  day's 
march,  we  were  endeavoring  to  obtain  a  little 
sleep,  when  a  Constant  stream  of  stragglers  was  pass 
ing  through  our  company,  disturbing  us  and  asking 
for  regiments  and  brigades  of  which  we  had  never 
heard  before.  About  midnight,  with  many  others, 
there  came  a  lieutenant  in  a  Zouave  uniform  ;  he  was 
evidently  very  proud  of  his  rank,  red  cap,  and  the 
gilt  lace  upon  his  dress.  He  halted  in  our  company, 
stirred  up  Dick  Quinlan  from  &  sound  sleep,  and 
asked,  "  What  regiment  is  this  ?  "  Dick  rubbed  his 
eyes  a  moment,  and  answered  in  a  stentorian  voice : 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  191 

"  The  Ninth  Ireland,  sir,"  while  the  officer,  who  was 
undoubtedly  grateful  for  the  information  thus  re 
ceived,  went  on  his  way  rejoicing.  Long  before  sun 
rise  in  the  morning,  the  reveille  would  awaken  us, 
and  it  would  not  seem  as  if  we  had  been  asleep  at 
all,  so  rapidly  had  the  brief  night  passed  away ;  and 
then  with  aching  heads,  hungry  stomachs,  and  weary 
limbs,  we  would  begin  another  day's  work,  not 
knowing  what  hardships  and  dangers  it  contained. 
I  wonder  how  men  endured  so  much.  Some  are  sur 
prised  that  so  many  of  our  men  died  from  exposure 
and  disease ;  but  as  I  recall  those  weary  days,  I  only 
wonder  that  so  many  men  survived  them  at  all. 

On  the  twenty-third  of  May,  our  regiment  reached 
the  North  Anna  river.  Our  brigade  was  ordered  to 
cross  the  river  at  Jericho  ford.  The  current  was 
very  swift,  and  the  water  nearly  up  to  our  arm-pits, 
which  made  the  crossing  a  very  difficult  task  to  per 
form,  but  it  was  soon  accomplished,  and  we  then 
formed  a  line  of  battle  to  guard  the  men  who  were 
employed  in  building  a  pontoon  bridge  across  the 
river.  The  bridge  was  soon  completed,  and  then 
our  whole  corps  crossed,  and  formed  a  line  of  battle, 
nearly  all  of  which  was  in  the  woods.  Our  division, 
commanded  by  General  Griffin,  was  in  the  center, 
Crawford's  was  on  our  left,  and  our  Second  division 
was  on  the  right.  At  five  o'clock  a  sharp  attack 
was  made  upon  our  division  by  the  rebel  divisions  of 
Heth  and  Wilcox,  which  we  quickly  repulsed,  but 
three  brigades,  commanded  by  the  rebel  General 
Brown,  were  suddenly  hurled  with  such  force  upon 
our  second  division  that  it  was  thrown  back  in  dis- 


192  KEMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAE. 

order,  to  the  exposure  of  the  right  flank  of  our  divis 
ion  to  the  enemy's  fire.  For  a  moment  it  seemed  as 
if  this  was  a  most  serious  disaster.  The  rebels  rushed 
on,  following  up  the  advantage  they  had  thus  gained, 
while  our  brigade  was  ordered  in  at  a  "  double-quick  " 
to  check  them.  It  was  a  critical  moment.  As  we 
reached  the  spot,  and  were  wheeling  into  position, 
the  gallant  Eighty-third  Pennsylvania  regiment  of 
our  brigade,  commanded  by  Lieutenant-Colonel 
McCoy,  came  around  upon  the  flank  and  rear  of  the 
rebel  line,  and  at  a  most  fortunate  moment  poured 
in  a  deadly  fire  at  close  quarters  upon  the  foe.  So 
fearful  was  its  effect  that  the  rebel  line  reeled  and 
staggered  beneath  its  withering  power,  and  the  next 
moment  broke,  and  ran  from  the  field,  leaving  their 
commander,  and  nearly  one  thousand  prisoners, 
in  our  hands.  In  this  battle  Colonel  Spear  and  sev 
eral  of  our  men  were  wounded.  After  the  enemy 
retreated,  we  built  a  strong  line  of  breastworks, 
which  were  not  completed  until  nearly  morning.  On 
the  night  of  the  twenty-sixth,  we  secretly  recrossed 
the  North  Anna,  and  began  another  flank  move 
ment  to  the  left.  It  was  simply  a  renewal  of  the  old 
experience,  to  fight  all  day,  and  march  all  night. 
On  the  twenty-seventh,  we  passed  the  late  residence 
of  the  rebel,  John  B.  Floyd.  It  was  a  large  planta 
tion,  with  a  magnificent  dwelling,  and  numerous  out 
buildings.  The  weather  was  very  warm,  and  ripe 
strawberries  peeped  out  and  blushed  at  us  from  the 
thick  grass  that  covered  the  land  of  the  traitor. 
The  twenty-eighth,  we  crossed  the  Pamunky  river, 
at  Hanover  Ferry,  sixteen  miles  from  the  city  of 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  193 

Richmond.  Our  line  of  battle  was  formed  some 
two  miles  from  the  river,  and  there  we  rapidly  threw 
up  another  line  of  breastworks.  Heavy  skirmishing 
was  heard  in  our  front  and  on  either  flank;  occa 
sionally  a  great  shell  would  come  tearing  through 
the  air  above  our  heads,  as  if  to  remind  us  that  our 
rebel  friends  had  not  forgotten  us.  We  began  to 
derive  one  satisfaction  from  the  situation,  and  that 
was  from  the  fact  that  we  were  now  so  near  to  Rich 
mond  that  the  sounds  would  be  borne  from  the  bat 
tle-field  to  that  city,  and  each  booming  cannon  would 
be  a  solemn  reminder  to  the  people  of  the  rebel  capi 
tal  that  justice  was  thundering  at  its  gates,  and  de 
manding  its  dues.  Upon  the  thirtieth  our  line 
was  advanced  several  times,  and  we  threw  up  two 
lines  of  breastworks.  There  was  very  heavy  skir 
mishing,  and  scores  of  shells  passed  over  us,  but  no 
one  in  our  regiment  was  injured.  The  day  following 
we  were  relieved  by  a  portion  of  the  Ninth  corps,  and 
moved  to  the  left,  and  built  another  line  of  breast 
works.  June  1st  we  moved  still  further  to  the  left,  and 
built  more  breastworks.  Late  in  the  afternoon  the 
rebels  charged  upon  us  in  great  force,  but  were  soon 
repulsed.  We  found  that  it  was  much  more  to  our 
advantage  to  have  them  charge  upon  our  lines  than 
it  was  for  us  to  charge  upon  theirs.  In  the  after 
noon  of  the  second  we  were  ordered  to  some  other 
point  upon  the  left,  and  as  we  were  advancing  we 
came  in  contact  with  the  enemy,  who  nearly  sur 
rounded  us,  so  that  it  was  only  by  cutting  our  way 
through  their  lines  that  we  escaped  being  captured. 
We  lost  from  the  corps  some  five  hundred  men,  nearly 
9 


194  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR. 

all  of  whom  were  taken  prisoners.  On  the  third  was 
fought  the  bloody  battle  of  Cold  Harbor,  which  was 
one  of  the  most  desperate  of  the  whole  campaign. 
Early  in  that  morning  our  whole  army  was  in  line 
of  battle,  prepared  to  assault  the  enemy's  works  at 
the  appointed  hour.  Hancock  was  upon  our  extreme 
left,  then  came  Wright,  then  the  command  of 
General  Smith ;  upon  the  right  of  Smith  was  War 
ren's  corps,  while  General  Burnside  held  the  ex 
treme  right  of  our  position.  The  orders  had  been 
given  to  make  the  assault  at  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  The  signal  was  given,  and  along  the  line 
our  men  rushed  upon  the  rebel  works.  What  a  re 
ception  they  met !  Every  thicket  gleamed  with  the 
glare  of  rebel  guns ;  every  hill  and  ridge  was 
crowned  with  rebel  cannon.  Never  before  in  that 
campaign  had  our  men  received  such  a  baptism  of 
death.  The  air  was  filled  with  the  shrieking  missiles 
of  war,  and  every  breeze  was  freighted  with  death. 
Our  men  came  in  contact  with  thickets  so  tangled 
with  vines  and  thorns  that  to  pass  through  them  was 
an  impossibility ;  there  were  bogs  and  marshes  where 
no  human  being  could  walk,  such  was  the  mass  of 
watery  mire  ;  and  thus  our  lines  were  broken  and  our 
commands  were  disconnected,  and  all  the  time  there 
was  poured  from  the  rebel  lines,  which  we  could  not 
see,  those  volleys  of  hurtling  death. 

General  Barlow,  of  Hancock's  corps,  succeeded  in 
reaching  the  rebel  line,  captured  a  strong  position 
with  several  hundred  prisoners,  three  guns  and  a 
battle  flag,  but  the  rebels  soon  overpowered  him,  and 
pressed  him  back.  General  Gibbon,  of  the  same 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR.  195 

corps,  also  penetrated  the  thickets  and  reached  tho 
rebel  breastworks.  Colonel  McKeen  heroically 
planted  the  stars  and  stripes  upon  these,  but  in  a  mo 
ment  after  he  fell  mortally  wounded,  and  our  men 
were  hurled  back.  These  were  the  only  troops,  which 
charged  in  front,  that  succeeded  in  reaching  the 
enemy's  breastworks.  General  Burnside,  on  our 
right,  struck  the  left  flank  of  the  rebel  army,  and  in 
flicted  a  serious  loss  upon  it,  but  our  men  being 
repulsed  in  front,  he  was  also  obliged  to  fall  back. 
The  conflict  was  short,  sharp,  and  bloody ;  we  were 
repulsed  at  every  point  with  great  loss ;  in  less  than 
an  hour's  time  we  lost  ten  thousand  men.  Our  reg 
iment  fought  near  Bethesda  church,  and  lost  quite 
heavily.  The  loss  to  the  army,  throughout  the  day, 
must  have  been  nearly  fifteen  thousand  men.  Our 
men  were  now  fully  convinced  that  to  carry  the  rebel 
position  was  an  impossibility ;  and  I  do  not  believe 
that  if  the  order  to  do  so  had  been  given,  that  a  sin 
gle  man  would  have  made  the  attempt.  The  situa 
tion  was  now  a  gloomy  one  ;  our  losses  through  the 
campaign  had  been  fearful ;  the  army  of  General  Lee 
was  still  between  us  and  Richmond. 

We  now  found  ourselves,  at  a  sickly  season  of  the 
year,  in  the  deadly  swamps  of  the  Chickahominy, 
where  to  remain  with  an  army  for  any  length  of  time, 
was  an  impossibility.  The  sun  glared  down  upon  us 
like  a  globe  of  fire,  as  he  rolled  through  the  brazen 
skies.  The  air  was  filled  with  malaria  and  death. 
The  water  was  very  poor  and  unhealthy.  Sickness,  as 
well  as  battle,  was  doing  fearful  work  in  our  ranks. 
We  were  now  in  the  position  from  which  General 


196  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

McClellan  had  been  driven  two  years  before.  It  was 
a  fortunate  thing  for  the  destiny  of  this  nation,  in 
this  dreary  period,  that  we  had  at  the  head  of  our 
army  a  man  who  knew  nothing  of  the  word  defeat, — 
one  who  was  equal  to  the  emergency.  Undoubtedly 
General  Grant  was  disappointed  that  the  fruits  of  the 
campaign  had  not  been  more  decisive,  but  he  well 
understood  that  General  Lee  had  lost  heavily  in  the 
campaign,  and  that  it  would  be  a  difficult  task  for 
him  to  replenish  his  decimated  ranks,  and  so  he  con 
ceived  the  idea  of  throwing  his  army  across  the  James 
river,  if  possible,  capture  Petersburgh,  cut  the  lines 
of  railway  connecting  Richmond  with  the  South,  and 
thus  compel  the  surrender  of  the  rebel  capital.  It 
was  a  great  undertaking  to  thus  change  a  base  of 
supplies  by  crossing  a  river  in  the  face  of  an  enemy, 
without  having  the  army  cut  in  two  by  an  attack 
from  his  powerful  adversary, — a  task  that  required 
a  great  intellect,  a  strong  arm,  and  a  Spartan's  cour 
age.  Our  leader  possessed  all  these,  and  the  move 
ment  was  undertaken.  To  deceive  the  enemy,  our 
line  of  breastworks  was  strengthened  as  if  we  were 
to  remain  in  them.  The  rebels  made  repeated  at 
tacks  upon  us,  but  were  always  repulsed.  Grant 
was  rapidly  maturing  his  plans  to  cross  the  James 
river.  The  various  corps  were  to  move  in  different 
directions,  so  that  Lee  would  not  understand  where 
the  blow  was  to  fall. 

Sheridan  with  his  gallant  cavalry  was  raiding  upon 
the  enemy's  country,  and  cutting  Lee's  communica 
tions  in  every  direction.  Our  corps,  preceded  by  the 
cavalry  of  General  Wilson,  forced  a  passage  across 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  197 

the  Chickahominy  at  Long  Bridge,  and  marched  in 
the  direction  of  Richmond.  This  was  to  conceal 
from  General  Lee  the  movements  of  the  remainder 
of  the  army.  The  rebel  commander,  supposing  that 
the  attack  was  to  be  made  upon  that  city,  hastily  re 
treated  within  its  fortifications,  and  stood  in  its  de 
fense  ;  while,  in  the  meantime,  the  army  of  the  Poto 
mac  was  marching  rapidly  in  the  direction  of  the 
James  river.  On  the  night  of  June  14th  a  pontoon 
bridge,  more  than  two  thousand  feet  in  length,  was 
thrown  across  the  river.  Hancock's  corps  had  al 
ready  crossed  on  the  ferry  at  Harrisons  Landing,  and 
a  large  portion  of  the  army  immediately  followed 
upon  the  pontoon  bridge.  On  the  fifteenth,  our  corps 
reached  the  James,  and  began  to  cross  over.  At 
nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  sixteenth  our  reg 
iment  was  carried  over  on  a  small  steam  transport, 
named  "  General  Hooker."  The  place  of  our  cross 
ing  was  at  Powhatan  Point. 

And  thus  closed  the  wonderful  campaign  from  the 
Rapidan  to  the  James.  At  its  close,  as  we  stood 
upon  the  opposite  side  of  the  James  river  and  re 
called  it  all,  it  seemed  more  like  a  fearful  nightmare 
to  us  than  a  reality.  We  remembered  the  long  days 
of  weariness  and  pain,  the  many  miles  we  had 
marched  when  we  were  so  tired  and  hungry,  the 
battles  and  skirmishes  through  which  we  had  passed, 
and  above  all  else  we  thought  of  our  brave  comrades 
so  many  of  whom  had  gone  down  in  blood  and  death. 
If  there  is  a  section  of  territory  in  all  this  Union 
that  must  forever  remain  sacred,  it  is  that  section  of 
Virginia  reaching  from  the  Shenandoah  valley  to  the 


198  BEMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAE. 

James  river,  upon  which  was  fought  so  many  of  the 
great  battles  of  the  war,  and  in  whose  bosom  repose 
the  ashes  of  so  many  thousand  heroes. 

That  country  must  have  changed  much,  my  com 
rades,  since  we  were  there.  Those  rifle-pits  we 
digged  are  now  filled  with  earth;  the  breastworks 
are  leveled  down ;  the  forts  all  dismantled.  I  pre 
sume  we  should  hardly  remember  now  at  what  points 
in  the  line  our  regiments  fought,  or  where  we  buried 
our  comrades.  Those  shallow  graves  are  all  over 
grown  with  weeds  and  bushes ;  but  notwithstanding 
all  this,  I  wish  we  could  go  down  there  again,  and 
follow  the  indistinct  trail  of  our  army  from  the  Wil 
derness  to  the  James  river.  What  points  of  interest 
we  could  visit !  I  would  like,  some  beautiful  morn 
ing,  just  as  the  sun  should  be  flooding  the  gateways  of 
the  coming  day  with  his  fleecy  tides  of  golden  light, 
to  climb  with  a  company  of  my  old  comrades  the 
heights  that  encircle  Fredericksburgh ;  or  cross  the 
plains  around  the  ruins  of  the  old  Chancellorsville 
house ;  then  enter  the  Wilderness,  and  lounge, 
through  the  sultry  hours  of  noon,  under  the  pine 
trees  where  we  once  fought  the  rebels,  and  plunged 
into  the  depths  of  death ;  and  in  the  solitude  of  the 
evening  climb  around  the  heights  of  Spottsylva- 
nia,  and  recall  the  incidents  that  transpired  in  those 
distant  days,  when  the  tides  of  war  surged  over  their 
rocky  breasts ;  and  thus  continue  our  way  to  North 
Anna,  Cold  Harbor  and  the  James.  I  think  that  in 
some  places  we  could  easily  locate  the  graves  of  our 
comrades.  Eighteen  years  have  passed  since  we 
buried  them  there,  and  I  suppose  that  in  all  that 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  199 

time  no  loyal  man  has  visited  them.  No  one  who 
had  any  sympathy  for  the  cause  in  which  they  died, 
has  ever  dropped  a  tear  or  a  flower  upon  the  little 
mounds  that  contain  their  ashes.  The  wild  animals 
have  passed  over  them ;  the  friend  of  the  "  lost 
cause  "  has  passed  that  way  ;  but  no  Union  soldier, 
no  one  who  wept  and  prayed  for  them  in  their  sacri 
fices  and  their  death.  I  wish  we  could  go  down 
there,  visit  those  graves,  and  scatter  a  comrade's 
tears  and  flowers  upon  the  ashes  of  our  brave  com 
rades.  I  believe  that  we  would  derive  an  inspi 
ration  from  the  visit,  that  would  prompt  us  to  forget 
all  political  prejudices  and  parties,  and  to  work,  talk, 
vote,  live,  and  die,  if  it  was  necessary,  to  perpetuate 
the  principles  for  which  they  fought. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

IN   FRONT    OF   PETERSBURG!!. 

THOSE  words  sound  very  natural;  we  used  to 
write  them  very  often.  How  many  letters,  written 
to  friends  at  home  in  the  summer  of  1864,  began 

Camp  of  the ,  in  front  of  Petersburgh.     But 

many  long  years  have  passed  since  we  wrote  them 
last.  In  front  of  Petersburgh !  yes,  we  were  there, 
and  we  can  never  forget  that  fact ;  it  was  the  first 
summer  that  we  passed  so  near  the  beautiful  capital 
of  the  Southern  Confederacy — the  Southerners  gave 
us  a  warm  reception — but  we  did  not  particularly 
enjoy  the  summer.  There  were  very  many  incon 
veniences,  which,  to  say  the  least,  sadly  interfered 
with  our  enjoyment,  and  had  not  circumstances  be 
yond  our  control  prevented  it,  I  think  we  should 
have  gone  home  some  little  time  before  the  season 
closed.  I  remember  quite  distinctly  some  of  the  in 
conveniences  that  we  encountered.  The  weather 
was  too  hot,  the  dews  at  night  were  heavy,  and  gave 
us  the  chills,  the  water  was  poor,  the  bill  of  fare  did 
not  give  entire  .  satisfaction,  the  rooms  we  occupied 
were  small,  and  poorly  lighted,  ventilated  and  fur 
nished,  the  air  at  times  was  almost  filled  with  dark- 
colored  insects  of  various  and  often  of  enormous 
sizes,  whose  sting  or  bite  was  deadly,  causing,  in  that 
season,  deaths  in  almost  numberless  cases,  and  last 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAK.  201 

of  all,  there  was  so  much  noise  and  excitement  that 
frequently  there  were  whole  nights  in  which  we 
hardly  closed  our  eyes  in  sleep,  so  that  as  a  pleasure 
resort,  "  In  front  of  Petersburgh "  was  a  miserable 
failure,  and  I  would  advise  all  nervous  people,  at 
least,  to  avoid  visiting  the  place,  unless  the  regula 
tions  have  been  changed  since  we  were  there.  As  I 
have  stated  in  the  previous  chapter,  we  went  there 
in  June,  1864,  and  remained  until  the  month  of 
March,  1865,  so  that  we  know  whereof  we  affirm. 
But  in  this  chapter  I  want  to  give  some  reminiscen 
ces  of  those  months, — an  account  of  some  of  the 
events  that  transpired  and  of  some  of  the  battles  in 
which  our  regiment  fought. 

We  crossed  the  James  river  June  16th,  and, 
two  days  later,  moved  to  the  front,  where  we  were 
received  with  a  heavy  fire.  Our  brigade  was  in  the 
center  of  the  division,  as  we  thus  advanced,  and  was 
well  concealed  by  the  woods  through  which  we 
marched,  and  consequently  suffered  but  little  loss. 
We  reached  the  edge  of  an  open  field,  where  we 
halted,  and  threw  up  a  line  of  breastworks.  The 
second  brigade  had  also  made  a  gallant  charge,  and 
gained  a  position  close  up  to  the  enemy's  line.  The 
first  brigade,  commanded  by  our  own  gallant  Cham 
berlain,  had  made  a  desperate  charge  across  an  open 
field.  Their  brave  leader  led  the  van  until  he  re 
ceived  a  terrible  wound,  and  was  hurled  from  his 
horse.  For  this  gallant  conduct  he  was  promoted  to 
a  brigadier-general  on  the  field,  by  General  Grant, — 
the  only  instance  of  the  kind  that  occurred  during 
the  war.  This  battle  was  followed  by  several  days 
*9 


202  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

of  marching  and  skirmishing,  and  then  we  took  our 
position  in  the  line  that  was  investing  Petersburgh. 
This  was  the  first  regular  siege  in  which  we  ever  par 
ticipated.  The  city  was  very  strongly  fortified ;  its 
lines  of  defense  were  many  miles  in  length,  beginning 
on  the  bank  of  the  Appomattox  river,  extending 
around  the  western  side  of  Petersburgh,  until  they 
reached  and  crossed  the  James  river,  to  the  north 
eastern  side  of  the  city  of  Richmond.  These  de 
fenses  were  elaborate,  and  consisted  of  redans,  re 
doubts,  and  infantry  parapets,  with  the  outer  line  of 
defenses,  abatis,  stakes  and  chevaux-de-frise,  con 
structed  by  the  most  skillful  engineers  in  the  Confed 
erate  service  ;  and  behind  these  was  the  veteran  army 
of  General  Lee.  To  hold  that  army  in  check  we 
must  have  defenses  equally  as  elaborate,  and  quickly 
the  work  of  construction  began.  We  were  so  near 
the  rebel  lines  that  our  work  had  to  be  done  at  night, 
under  cover  of  the  darkness.  The  weather  was  very 
hot,  and  we  suffered  much  from  sickness. 

A  battle  would  be  raging  at  some  point  along  our 
extensive  line,  nearly  every  day ;  and  for  six  weeks, 
as  we  were  in  those  works  in  front  of  Petersburgh, 
we  lost  men  in  our  regiment  nearly  every  day.  The 
moods  of  the  two  armies  seemed  to  vary  like  those 
of  spoiled  children.  One  day  all  would  be  pleasant 
and  peaceable  for  a  portion  of  the  time,  at  least ; 
the  rebels  would  come  outside  their  works,  and  we 
would  clamber  out  over  our  breastworks,  straighten 
up,  get  a  good  look  at  the  situation,  and  not  a  shot 
would  be  fired  from  either  line ;  in  two  hours  from 
that  time,  perhaps,  the  great  shells  would  be  flying 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAR.  203 

from  either  side,  and  if  a  man  put  his  head  above  the 
breastworks,  it  was  certain  death. 

The  government  exerted  itself  to  supply  us  with 
good  rations  of  food,  and  the  sanitary  commission, 
like  an  angel  of  mercy,  sent  its  stores  of  vegetables 
and  other  luxuries  to  us  frequently,  and  thus  ren 
dered  us  great  service.  It  is  impossible  for  me,  in 
my  limited  space,  to  describe  the  fortifications  we 
built,  and  the  bomb-proofs  in  which  we  were  often 
obliged  to  sleep.  We  shall  never  forget  the  latter — 
those  little  dens  covered  with  logs  and  earth, — how 
often  they  saved  our  lives,  and  how  frequently  we 
fled  to  them  in  moments  of  danger. 

The  campaign  became  quite  scientific,  so  that  after 
the  first  few  weeks,  we  learned  to  tell  by  the  sound 
the  nature  of  every  missile  that  passed  over  us,  and 
knew  just  which  ones  to  dodge.  Of  course  the 
mortar  shells  had  the  most  terror  for  us.  The  ordi 
nary  field-pieces  or  siege-guns,  that  threw  shells  di 
rectly  through  the  air,  did  not  disturb  us  much,  as 
we  lay  behind  our  breastworks,  but  those  confounded 
mortars,  throwing  those  enormous  shells  up  in  al 
most  a  perpendicular  direction,  with  such  a  peculiar 
aim  that,  when  they  reached  a  certain  degree  of  al 
titude,  they  would  descend  plump  within  our  lines, 
tearing  up  the  earth  in  a  most  frightful  manner,  and 
filling  the  air  with  death-dealing  missiles  by  their 
terrible  explosions,  so  that  our  only  safety  was  in  the 
bomb-proofs.  We  always  told  short  stories  when  we 
heard  them  coming.  As  we  became  accustomed  to 
the  new  situation  in  which  we  found  ourselves,  we 
learned  to  take  all  the  advantages  of  it  we  possibly 


204  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAB. 

could.  The  bomb-proofs  of  course  were  damp  and  un 
healthy,  so  we  had  our  tents  out  in  the  open  air,  and 
fled  to  the  bomb-proofs  when  danger  threatened  us. 
We  also  built  dining  pavilions,  in  which  we  used  to 
eat.  These  were  not  very  elaborate  edifices,  but  an 
swered  their  purpose ;  a  few  pieces  of  shelter  tent 
were  spread  upon  short  posts,  to  protect  us  from  the 
hot  rays  of  the  sun,  the  sides  were  left  open  to  allow 
a  circulation  of  air,  a  rough  table  and  benches  were 
constructed,  and  under  those  shelters  we  would  dine 
in  what,  to  us  at  least,  was  a  metropolitan  style. 
But  how  often  would  those  meals  be  interrupted  in 
the  most  abrupt  and  amusing  manner !  We  will  re 
late  one  instance.  It  is  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
of  a  hot,  sweltering  day;  the  enemy  has  been  shell 
ing  us  in  a  most  vigorous  manner  all  the  forenoon ; 
an  agent  of  the  sanitary  commission  has  made  us  a 
visit,  leaving  us  potatoes,  onions,  soft  bread,  pickles, 
and  a  few  other  luxuries,  and  the  event  must  be 
commemorated  by  a  good  square  dinner.  In  the 
inspiration  of  the  preparation  we  forgot  Lee's  army, 
the  dreaded  mortar  shells  and  all  else,  and  our  feast 
is  soon  spread  upon  the  table  in  our  dining  pavilion, 
while  six  rough,  unshaved,  sunburned  fellows  place 
their  legs  beneath  the  table,  and  prepare  to  devour 
the  rations  that  have  been  dealt  out  to  their  mess. 
They  are  a  happy  squad;  they  talk  and  laugh  in 
high  glee.  The  preliminaries  on  those  occasions 
were  very  brief,  and  the  food  is  quickly  deposited 
within  the  plates  of  the  hungry  fellows,  but  just  at 
that  moment  a  noise  that  is  utterly  indescribable 
fills  the  air;  it  is  a  medley  of  shuddering,  shriek- 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  206 

ing,  agonizing  groans,  as  if  the  air  was  alive  with 
demons,  uttering  their  most  demoniac  yells  with  an 
infinite  power — an  incarnate  hell  that  is  descending 
upon  us  with  lightning  speed.  The  boys  understand 
what  it  is ;  rules  of  etiquette  are  forgotten,  and  each 
voice  utters  those  dreaded  words, — a  shell,  a  shell, 
and  six  men  charge  for  the  bomb-proof.  In  their 
hasty  departure  Horton  came  in  contact  with  one  of 
the  four  posts  that  supported  the  roof  of  the  pa 
vilion,  and  down  came  the  structure.  Unfortunately 
for  Wyman,  the  table  was  between  him  and  the 
bombproof,  and  as  he  sprang  over  the  former  to 
reach  the  latter,  his  foot  caught  in  the  table  some 
where,  and  as  a  result  of  the  accident  he  entered  the 
bomb-proof  upon  his  head  and  shoulders,  leaving  the 
path  along  which  he  came  strewn  with  potatoes, 
onions,  and  other  articles  in  the  culinary  depart 
ment.  The  dinner  was  almost  a  failure,  and  what 
rendered  the  circumstance  more  aggravating  to  the 
parties  so  directly  interested,  was  the  fact  that  the 
shell  did  not  strike  within  several  rods  of  them,  and 
would  not  have  done  them  any  harm  if  they  had  re 
mained  at  their  table. 

The  boys  learned  to  pass  away  the  tedious  hours, 
when  there  was  nothing  to  do,  by  playing  cards,  and 
many  of  them  became  very  skillful  in  their  use ;  but, 
as  is  usually  the  case,  the  friendly  games  soon  gave  way 
to  those  where  stakes  were  deposited,  and  so  intense, 
though  friendly,  feelings  were  engendered.  Four  of 
the  boys  are  thus  occupied;  the  game  of  " bluff"  has 
reached  an  exciting  point;  the  little  group  around 
the  table  beneath  the  cotton  canopy  has  become  the 


206  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

center  of  attraction  for  the  whole  company ;  the  sum 
of  money  upon  the  board  is  rapidly  increasing  as 
each  one  in  turn  bets  upon  the  value  of  the  cards  he 
holds ;  it  is  Wyman's  turn ;  he  glances  at  his  hand 
and  remarks,  "  I  will  raise  it  five,"  and  a  five  dollar 
greenback  drops  from  his  hand  upon  the  pile  of 
stakes.  His  next  neighbor  is  Horton,  who  replies, 
"  I  will  cover  your  five  and  go  —  "  The  sentence  was 
never  completed.  One  of  Lee's  shells  came  plung 
ing  down  through  the  air/  at  that  moment,  and  the 
game  ended.  I  never  knew  what  Horton  was 
about  to  say  after  his  word  "  go  "  ;  I  only  know  that 
he  did  go — for  the  bomb-proof.  And  thus  the  days 
passed,  and  notwithstanding  all  the  dangers  and 
fatigue,  there  were  many  elements  of  enjoyment  in 
the  summer's  campaign  in  front  of  Petersburgh,  and 
had  it  not  been  for  the  fact  that  so  many  of  our  men 
were  being  shot  by  the  enemy's  sharp-shooters,  the 
situation  would  have  been  quite  endurable.  Occa 
sionally  a  shell  would  explode  within  our  lines,  and 
do  considerable  damage,  so  that  our  ranks  were 
daily  losing  our  best  men,  whose  places  were  filled 
with  recruits  sent  down  to  us  from  the  North.  On 
the  22d  of  June,  Captain  Samuel  T.  Keene,  one  of 
our  most  gallant  officers,  was  shot  and  instantly  killed 
by  a  sharp-shooter. 

One  of  the  most  exciting  events  that  occurred  dur 
ing  the  summer  was  the  "explosion  of  the  mine,"  on 
July  30th.  For  several  days  previous  to  that  date 
we  were  aware  that  something  of  the  kind  was  about 
to  take  place.  The  rebel  fort  under  which  the  mine 
was  being  placed  was  to  our  right,  and  in  full  view ; 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  207 

it  was  a  very  strong,  six-gun  fort,  projecting  out  be 
yond  the  average  line  of  the  enemy's  front.  About 
four  hundred  yards  behind  it  was  Cemetery  Hill 
crowned  with  a  heavy  battery  which  commanded  Pe- 
tersburgh  itself.  If  we  could  seize  that  point  and 
hold  it,  the  capture  of  Petersburgh  would  be  the  re 
sult.  The  plans  of  General  Grant  were  all  made, 
and  if  they  had  been  carried  out  by  the  officers  upon 
whom  devolved  their  execution,  there  is  no  doubt 
but  what  they  would  have  been  successful.  The  ex 
plosion  was  to  be  made  at  an  early  hour  in  the  morn 
ing;  when  it  occurred  it  was  to  be  a  signal  for  our 
artillery  to  open  all  along  the  lines,  and  at  the  same 
moment  a  division  of  Burnside's  corps  (in  whose 
front  was  the  doomed  fort),  was  to  rush  over  the 
ruins  of  the  demolished  fortress,  and  in  the  panic 
seize  Cemetery  Hill;  to  General  Ledlie's  division 
was  assigned  the  task  of  making  the  assault.  This 
division  was  composed  of  two  brigades,  one  of  Mas 
sachusetts  troops  commanded  by  General  J.  J.  Bart- 
lett,  and  the  other  of  troops  from  New  York,  Penn 
sylvania  and  Maryland,  commanded  by  Colonel  Mar 
shall.  There  was  an  accidental  delay  in  exploding 
the  mine,  and  it  was  nearly  five  o'clock  in  the  morn 
ing  before  it  took  place.  The  fort  was  garrisoned  by 
three  hundred  men.  We  afterward  learned  that  the 
enemy  had  received  an  intimation  of  what  was  being 
done,  but  had  no  knowledge  of  the  location  or  extent 
of  the  mine  or  the  time  when  the  explosion  was  to 
take  place.  The  first  intimation  we  had  that  the 
time  had  arrived  was  a  dull,  heavy  roar,  and  the  jar 
ring  of  the  ground  upon  which  we  stood.  It  seemed 


208  TtEMINISCKNCES   OF   THE  WAE. 

like  the  shock  of  a  powerful  earthquake  ;  we  looked, 
and  saw  that  the  air  above  where  the  fort  had  been 
was  filled  with  smoke,  dirt,  men,  guns,  and  pieces  of 
fortifications,  all  falling  in  one  mass  of  terrible  con 
fusion.  Then  the  crash  of  battle  roared  all  along 
our  lines,  and  the  rebels  for  a  moment  seemed  to  be 
stricken  with  terror,  not  knowing  of  course  but  what 
other  explosions  were  to  follow.  General  Ledlie's 
column  charged  up  into  the  ruined  fort,  and  for  sev 
eral  minutes  there  was  no  opposition ;  if  they  had  only 
pressed  on,  Petersburgh  would  have  been  our  prize, 
but  they  halted  for  a  short  time  in  the  ruins  of  the 
fort.  This  inexcusable  delay  was  fatal.  In  a  short 
time  the  rebels  regained  their  senses;  they  saw  that 
they  must  regain  the  position  they  had  lost,  and  with 
a  tremendous  energy  they  charged  upon  Ledlie's 
men,  who  fought  well  to  hold  the  crater,  while  other 
troops  were  hurled  in  to  reinforce  them,  but  the 
golden  hour  of  our  opportunity  had  been  wasted,  and 
the  lives  of  thousands  of  our  brave  men  were  need 
lessly  thrown  away.  Some  one  had  blundered;  it 
will  be  the  task  of  the  impartial  historian  to  name 
that  one. 

Through  all  these  disappointments  and  dangers 
the  men  never  swerved  in  their  loyalty  to  the  flag, 
their  love  for  President  Lincoln,  or  their  faith  in 
General  Grant.  To  the  North  that  summer  was  one 
of  grave  doubts  and  fears  as  to  the  results  of  that 
campaign,  but,  in  the  trenches,  and  behind  the  breast 
works,  doubts  did  not  exist — our  soldiers  expected 
to  conquer  the  rebels;  they  had  no  other  design. 
Their  vote  thrown  at  the  Presidential  election, 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR.  209 

that  November,  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  evidences 
of  their  loyalty  and  unwavering  love  for  the  Govern 
ment,  even  under  the  most  discouraging  circum 
stances.  McClellan  was  our  first  commander,  and, 
as  such,  he  was  almost  worshiped  by  his  soldiers. 
The  political  friends  of  General  McClellan  well 
understood  that  fact,  and  it  was  a  very  crafty  thing 
for  them  to  nominate  him  as  their  candidate  for  the 
Presidency,  but  it  was  a  very  cruel  thing  for  our  old 
commander  to  accept  such  an  nomination  upon  a 
platform  declaring  the  war  to  suppress  treason  a 
failure.  Yes,  it  was  cruel  in  General  McClellan  to 
ask  us  to  vote  that  our  campaigns  had  all  been  fail 
ures,  and  that  our  comrades  had  all  died  in  vain.  And 
yet  there  were  those  who  supposed  that  our  love  for 
him  would  cause  us  to  do  it.  I  can  easily  imagine 
that  President  Lincoln,  in  the  midst  of  all  his  anxie 
ties  and  burdens,  had  some  anxiety  upon  this  point. 
He  loved  the  army  with  all  the  power  of  his  great 
manly  heart,  and  wondered  if  the  boys  understood  how 
much  sympathy  he  had  for  them,  or  whether  they 
would  rebuke  him  by  voting  for  his  opponent — their 
old  favorite  General.  That  grand  old  army  performed 
many  heroic  acts  through  those  years;  they  wrote 
their  loyalty  to  country  with  the  points  of  their  bay 
onets  in  letters  of  blood  all  over  those  Southern 
fields,  but  never  in  its  history  did  it  do  a  more 
devoted  service,  than  when  those  men,  in  the  midst 
of  dangers  and  death,  laid  down  their  rifles  for  a 
moment  to  exercise  the  rights  of  American  citizens, 
when  they  sacrificed  their  love  for  the  old  leader 
who  had  abandoned  them,  and,  almost  to  a  man,  cast 


210  KEMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

their  votes  for  Abraham  Lincoln,  and  to  prolong  the 
war  until  the  Confederacy  should  be  crushed.  The 
nation  rejoiced  at  this  exhibition  of  their  loyalty, 
and  Lincoln's  heart  was  strangely  cheered  and  melted 
to  unusual  tenderness  by  this  spectacle  of  devotion. 
I  hope  the  American  people  may  follow  the  example 
thus  set  for  them,  and  ever  cherish  and  defend  the 
principles  which  were  so  dear  to  those  me.n. 

After  the  explosion  of  the  mine  in  front  of  Peters- 
burgh,  and  the  unsuccessful  attempts  to  carry  the 
enemy's  position  in  the  vicinity  of  James  river,  it  be 
came  evident  that  the  only  way  in  which  we  could 
hope  to  drive  the  rebels  from  their  positions,  was  to 
extend  our  lines  to  the  left,  and  get  possession  of  the 
great  lines  of  railway  along  which  the  rebel  army  re 
ceived  its  supplies  from  the  South.  With  them  once 
in  our  possession,  Petersburgh  and  Richmond  must 
be  evacuated  j  but  it  was  a  most  difficult  task  to 
perform.  Our  army  of  course  was  much  larger  than 
that  of  General  Lee,  but  he  had  the  inside  of  the 
circle,  and  consequently  his  lines  were  much  more 
contracted  than  ours.  He  was  also  acting  upon  the 
defensive,  and  in  such  a  position  that  he  could  see 
any  movement  that  was  being  made  by  our  troops. 
The  difficulty  was  this,  if  Grant  moved  any  por 
tion  of  his  army  to  the  extreme  left,  he  would  weaken 
some  other  point  in  the  line  by  so  doing.  Lee  know 
ing  this,  would  either  hurl  his  troops  upon  this  weak 
ened  point,  or  upon  the  force  moving  to  the  left ; 
and  a  success  to  him  in  either  case  would  be  very 
disastrous  to  us. 

Arrangements  were  being  silently  made  to  make 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  211 

the  movement,  notwithstanding  the  dangers  which 
attended  it.  On  the  fifteenth  of  August  we  were 
relieved  by  the  Ninth  corps,  and  marched  back  some 
distance  to  the  rear,  and  encamped  in  a  piece  of 
woods.  The  change  was  a  relief  to  us.  At  that 
time  we  knew  nothing  of  our  destination,  but  we 
had  been  cooped  up  so  long  in  the  fortifications  that 
any  movement  would  have  been  hailed  with  delight. 
On  that  day  letters  came  from  home,  and  we  lay 
down  upon  the  ground,  in  the  midst  of  vines  and 
flowers,  under  the  shade  of  the  pine  trees,  and  read 
the  messages  from  our  loved  ones  who  were  so  anx 
ious  for  our  safety.  At  night  we  received  marching 
orders.  We  were  to  move  early  in  the  morning,  and 
so  we  consumed  the  remaining  hours  of  that  day  and 
evening  in  writing  letters  home,  explaining  to  them 
the  situation,  telling  them  we  were  to  march  in  the 
morning  we  knew  not  where,  and  promising  to  write 
them  when  our  destination  was  reached, — a  promise 
which  some  of  those  brave  fellows  were  unable  to 
fulfill. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE   WELDON  BAILKOAD. 

ON  Thursday  morning,  August  18th,  at  six  o'clock, 
we  took  up  our  line  of  march  toward  the  left  of  the 
Union  line.  We  knew  that  we  were  upon  some 
expedition  of  importance,  and  that  there  would 
probably  be  heavy  fighting.  Our  whole  corps  was 
moving,  and  we  enjoyed  the  change  from  life  behind 
the  breastworks  to  the  march,  and  with  cheerful 
hearts  we  pressed  on.  We  were  moving  in  the  direc 
tion  of  the  Weldon  railroad,  which  was  one  of  the 
most  important  lines  of  communication  that  General 
Lee  had  with  the  South,  and  was  consequently  of 
great  value'  to  him.  At  twelve  o'clock,  the  head  of 
General  Warren's  corps  struck  this  railroad,  about  six 
miles  from  the  city  of  Petersburgh,  and  thus,  without 
any  opposition,  we  had  grasped  the  coveted  prize. 
Our  division,  commanded  by  General  Griffin,  re 
mained  to  guard  the  point  where  we  had  seized  the 
road,  while  the  divisions  of  Ayers  and  Crawford 
pushed  on  toward  Petersburgh.  They  had  not  pro 
ceeded  far  in  that  direction  before  they  encountered 
a  heavy  force  of  the  rebels.  A  severe  struggle 
ensued,  but  Warren  held  his  ground,  with  the  loss  of 
one  thousand  men,  and  from  that  moment  the  Wel 
don  railroad  was  lost  to  General  Lee ;  but  the  latter 
was  determined  not  to  give  it  up  without  another 


BEMINISCENCES   OF    THE   WAR.  213 

severe  struggle  to  regain  the  possession  of  it,  and  he 
prepared  to  make  another  assault.  In  the  meantime 
we  were  building  breastworks.  The  trees  in  front 
of  our  line  were  cut  down,  and  the  logs  were  piled 
up  in  lines  of  fortifications,  for  we  expected  the 
rebels  to  make  another  attack  at  any  moment.  The 
weather  was  very  rainy,  and  our  situation  was  a  very 
unpleasant  one,  but  the  men  were  much  elated  over 
the  success  of  our  expedition.  On  the  day  following 
the  events  just  narrated,  the  rebels,  through  a  plung 
ing  rain  storm,  made  a  savage  attack  upon  the  right 
of  our  corps,  and  pressed  it  back ;  in  a  moment  all 
was  excitement,  and  our  brigade  was  ordered  to 
double-quick  to  their  relief.  We  all  understood  how 
vital  it  was  for  us  to  check  their  advance  and  hold 
our  position  upon  the  railroad,  but  before  we  reached 
the  scene  of  conflict,  our  men  had  rallied  and  driven 
them  back,  and  we  returned  to  our  own  position  in 
the  line  of  defense.  All  that  night,  the  next  day 
and  night  following,  we  lay  upon  our  arms,  expect 
ing  each  moment  that  the  enemy  would  appear. 

On  Sunday  morning,  August  31st,  we  had  orders 
to  march,  and  began  to  pack  our  blankets,  when  the 
rebels  suddenly  advanced,  *  and  by  so  doing  en 
abled  our  regiment  to  obtain  the  only  bloodless  vic 
tory  we  gained  during  our  term  of  service.  Our 
skirmishers  were  driven  rapidly  in,  and  brought  the 
intelligence  that  the  rebels  were  advancing  in  two 
lines  of  battle.  One  line  evidently  was  to  attack  us 
in  front,  the  other  to  turn  our  flank.  Their  artillery, 
numbering  some  thirty  guns,  also  opened  a  brisk  fire 
upon  us,  and  for  a  time  it  looked  as  if  we  had  bloody 


214  "REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR. 

work  before  us,  but  each  man  was  determined  to 
hold  his  post,  and  never  relinquish  the  position  we 
had  gained.  As  the  rebel  line  advanced,  our  regi 
ment  occupied  a  splendid  position,  where  it  was  pro 
tected  from  the  fire  of  the  rebel  line  in  our  front,  but 
where  it  could  pour  its  volleys  upon  the  line  that  was 
endeavoring  to  turn  our  flank.  This  enfilading  fire 
from  our  regiment  was  very  fatal  to  the  rebels  and  our 
men  enjoyed  it  very  much,  for  they  remembered  how 
often  we  had  been  obliged  to  charge  upon  their  lines, 
and  be  shot  down  by  thousands,  while  they  were 
screened  from  our  fire,  and  we  now  rejoiced  that  for 
once  the  tables  were  turned,  and  that  to  our  advan 
tage.  We  loaded  and  fired  with  great  rapidity,  and 
our  rude  line  of  breastworks  was  wreathed  in  flame 
and  smoke.  The  rebels  advanced  manfully,  deter 
mined  to  carry  our  position ;  but  soon  the  gray  line 
Wavered,  then  halted,  and  a  moment  after  fell  back 
in  defeat,  being  obliged  to  retreat  under  the  same 
deadly  fire  through  which  they  had  advanced.  They 
left  all  their  dead  and  wounded  upon  the  field,  their 
entire  loss  being  nearly  two  thousand  men.  Our  di 
vision  captured  three  hundred  prisoners,  thirty-eight 
officers,  and  four  battle'  flags.  After  the  repulse  of 
the  rebels,  our  breastworks  were  made  so  strong  that 
General  Lee  did  not  make  another  attempt  to  recap 
ture  the  Weldon  railroad.  From  this  time  until 
September  30th,  we  had  but  little  fighting  to  do,  and 
our  life  was  made  up  of  the  same  old  routine  of  du 
ties  with  which  we  had  become  so  familiar.  Our 
picket  duty  was  very  heavy ;  then  there  was  drill, 
dress  parade,  inspections,  and  fatigue,  which  served 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR.  215 

to  keep  us  all  at  work  a  large  portion  of  the  time. 
Nearly  every  day  we  could  hear  the  roar  of  battle  at 
some  point  in  the  Union  lines,  where  Grant,  with 
steady  and  persistent  energy  was  engaged  in  his  mis 
sion  of  pounding  the  Confederacy  to  death.  Occa 
sionally  we  heard  cheering  intelligence  from  the  army 
of  Sherman,  in  the  southwest,  and  of  Sheridan,  in  the 
valley.  Our  line  was  very  near  the  rebels,  and 
there  was  frequently  heavy  skirmishing  between  the 
picket  lines. 

On  the  thirtieth  of  September  our  division  ad 
vanced  to  Peeble's  farm,  which  was  about  three  miles 
from  our  line  of  breastworks.  Our  brigade  was  in 
front  when  we  came  up  to  the  rebel  position.  They 
had  a  strong  line  of  earthworks,  well  manned  with 
infantry,  and  a  four-gun  fort  commanding  the  road 
and  field  where  we  must  advance.  Their  position 
was  a  very  formidable  one.  Our  line  was  formed 
for  a  charge,  our  regiment  being  upon  the  left  of  the 
brigade.  As  we  advanced  on  the  double-quick,  their 
infantry  opened  a  fearful  fire  upon  us,  and  their  ar 
tillery  poured  in  grape  and  canister  at  a  close 
range.  Many  of  our  men  fell  and  our  flag  was  riddled 
with  bullets,  but  with  wild  cheers  our  men  rushed 
on.  The  rebel  infantry  remained  behind  their 
works  until  they  fired  their  last  volley  in  our  faces, 
and  then  turned  to  run.  The  artillery  men,  seeing 
that  they  could  not  check  our  advance,  endeavored 
to  save  their  guns  by  flight.  The  horses  were  at 
tached  to  the  guns,  and  three  of  them  were  carried 
from  the  fort  before  we  could  reach  its  interior,  and 
the  remaining  one  would  have  escaped  in  the  same 


216  KEMINISCENCES    OF    THE    WAE. 

manner,  had-  it  not  been  for  the  gallant  conduct  of 
Lieut.  A.  E.  Fernald  of*  our  regiment.  This  brave 
officer  was  in  the  advance  of  his  command,  and,  see 
ing  the  situation,  dashed  through  an  opening  in  the 
wall  of  the  fort,  and  called  upon  the  men  who  were 
running  off  the  gun,  to  halt.  The  drivers  hesitated 
for  a  moment,  but  a  revolver  pointed  at  the  head  of 
one  of  them  had  a  very  persuasive  influence,  and 
they  halted  the  horses.  The  retreating  rebels  saw 
this  movement,  and  the  bullets  flew  thickly  around 
the  brave  officer,  but  he  persisted  in  holding  the 
prize.  One  or  two  of  the  horses  were  killed  by 
the  bullets,  so  that  it  was  impossible  for  them  to 
remove  the  gun.  Our  men  soon  reached  the  spot, 
and  the  gun  was  in  our  possession.  An  officer  of  a 
Massachusetts  regiment,  who  was  the  second  man»to 
reach  the  spot,  with  much  anger  claimed  the  honor 
of  its  capture  for  his  regiment,  but  our  plucky  lieu 
tenant  would  not  yield  the  point,  and  retained  the 
honor  he  had  so  heroically  won. 

We  remained  within  the  line  of  captured  works, 
while  the  Ninth  corps  followed  on  after  the  retreating 
enemy.  They  had  not  advanced  far  before  the  rebels 
turned  upon  them  with  such  vigor  that  our  line  was 
rolled  back  in  confusion,  and  our  division  was  ordered 
to  advance  on  the  double-quick,  and  check  the  rebels' 
advance.  General  Griffin  entered  into  the  spirit  of  the 
occasion,  and  soon  formed  us  into  line  on  a  low  crest 
of  land  covered  with  a  scattering  growth  of  wood. 
The  enemy  must  advance  in  our  front,  and  climb  up 
the  ascent,  down  which  we  could  send  our  messengers 
of  death  to  meet  them.  Griffin  saw  that  he  was  to 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  217 

contend  with  a  force  that  was  vastly  his  superior  in 
point  of  numbers,  and  ordered  his  artillery  to  advance 
and  take  a  position  in  his  line  of  battle.  A  captain, 
commanding  one  of  the  batteries,  pointed  to  our  line 
of  battle,  which  was  but  little  more  than  a  strong 
skirmish  line,  and,  in  much  surprise,  remarked,  "  My 
God,  General,  do  you  mean  for  me  to  put  my  guns 
out  on  that  skirmish  line  ?  "  General  Griffin,  with 
much  vehemence  rejoined,  "  Yes,  rush  them  in 
there ;  artillery  is  no  better  than  infantry,  put  them 
in  the  line,  and  let  them  fight  together,"  and  the 
guns  were  placed  in  the  line  of  battle,  loaded  to 
their  muzzles-  with  grape  and  canister.  The  rebels 
were  not  aware  of  the  reception  they  were  to  re 
ceive,  and  just  at  dark  came  charging  across  the  field 
in  our  front.  Our  infantry  opened  upon  them  furi 
ously;  nothing  was  heard  but  the  clanging  of  the 
steel  rammers  and  the  sharp  crack  of  the  rifles. 
The  enemy  soon  came  within  range  of  the  artillery, 
and  then  those  guns  joined  in  the  awful  music.  It 
was  enough  to  make  us  shudder,  as  we  saw  the  fear 
ful  execution  that  our  guns  made  on  the  advancing 
lines,  but  with  a  desperate  determination  they  kept 
on,  and  soon  they  reached  our  line.  Then  it  was  a 
sharp,  bloody  strife ;  clubbed  rifles  were  freely  used  ; 
bayonets  gleamed  with  blood ;  and  then  the  brave 
line  of  rebels  were  rolled  back  in  defeat,  leaving 
their  dead  and  wounded  in  our  possession.  It  was 
one  of  the  fiercest  fights  of  the  campaign.  Our 
brigade  was  that  day  commanded  by  Major  Spear  of 
the  Twentieth  Maine,  and  that  regiment  was  under 
the  command  of  Captain  A.  W.  Clark.  Both  regi- 
10 


218  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAK. 

ment  and  brigade  won  much  honor.  In  our  regiment 
we  lost  six  men,  and  fifty  were  wounded,  some  of 
our  bravest  men  being  among  them.  Captain  Wes- 
ton  H.  Keene  was  killed,  Captain  Sidelinger  and 
Lieutenant  Alden  Miller  were  wounded.  Connected 
with  Captain  Keene's  death  there  was  a  very  singu 
lar  incident.  On  the  morning  of  the  battle,  Captain 
Keene  remarked  to  a  brother  officer,  that  when  en 
tering  a  battle  it  had  always  been  his  custom  to  send 
his  money  back  to  the  rear  by  some  non-combatant, 
for  safe  keeping,  but  that  on  this  occasion  he  would 
not  do  that,  and  if  he  was  killed  the  money  would 
pay  the  expense  of  embalming  his  body,  and  sending 
it  to  his  friends  in  Maine.  That  night,  when  the 
rebels  were  making  their  charge,  at  the  most  ter 
rific  moment  of  the  battle,  the  gallant  captain  was 
killed,  and  his  money  was  actually  expended  for  the 
purpose  named. 

In  Company  H,  among  the  wounded,  was  Sergeant 
James  A.  Horton,  one  of  the  bravest  men  in  the  reg 
iment  ;  he  had  never  been  off  duty  a  single  day  for 
the  two  years ;  kind,  generous  and  brave,  he  was  be 
loved  by  all.  When  we  stormed  the  fort,  a  huge 
canister-shot  shattered  his  thigh;  he  was  carried 
back  to  the  hospital,  where  he  soon  died ;  his  loving 
comrades  had  his  remains  embalmed,  and  forwarded 
them  to  his  parents  in  Massachusetts. 

We  threw  up  a  strong  line  of  breastworks  near 
the  battle-field,  and  remained  there  until  the  first  of 
December.  There  was  nothing  remarkable  in  our 
experience  through  those  weeks.  The  day  after  the 
battle,  Generals  Grant  and  Meade  rode  along  our 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAB.  219 

line,  and  were  loudly  cheered  by  the  men.  General 
Meade  suggested  to  General  Griffin  that  it  would 
be  well  for  him  to  intrench  his  position,  but  Grif 
fin,  whose  blood  was  boiling  over  the  inspiration 
of  the  battle  just  fought,  replied,  "  I  don't  need  any 
breastworks  ;  I  can  whip  the  whole  rebel  army  with 
my  little  division,"  but  the  intrenchments  were 
made,  notwithstanding  this  remarkable  fact.  Our 
armies,  under  Generals  Sherman  and  Sheridan,  were 
gaining  glorious  victories  at  this  time,  and  we  re 
joiced  over  their  successes,  and  were  all  hopeful  as 
to  the  result  of  the  campaign. 

On  Tuesday,  November  8th,  our  regiment  voted 
for  the  candidates  for  the  Presidency;  Abraham 
Lincoln  received  one  hundred  and  thirty-seven  votes, 
George  B.  McClellan,  thirteen.  When  the  news  of 
the  re-election  of  President  Lincoln  by  such  an  over 
whelming  majority  reached  the  army  of  the  Potomac, 
the  men  were  wild  with  excitement.  From  the  Wei- 
don  railroad,  along  our  entire  line,  past  Petersburgh, 
across  the  James  river,  in  the  intrenchments  away 
round  to  Richmond,  our  men  cheered  until  they  were 
hoarse.  The  rebels  heard  the  cheering,  and  suppos 
ing  that  we  had  learned  of  some  greater  victory  to 
our  arms,  were  anxious  to  know  the  news.  At  a 
point  where  the  lines  came  within  a  few  rods  of  each 
other,  our  men  heard  a  voice  from  behind  the  rebel 
breastworks,  "  Say,  Yank."  "Hilloa,  Johnny."  "Don't 
fire,  Yank."  "All  right,  Johnny."  "What  are 
you'uns  all  cheering  for  ? "  "  Big  victory  on  our 
side."  "  What  is  it,  Yank  ? "  came  the  eager  re 
sponse.  "  Old  Abe  has  cleaned  all  your  fellers  out 


220  BEMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAE. 

up  North."  "You  don't  say  so,  Yank?"  "Fact; 
gobbled  the  whole  concern,  there  is  not  peace  men 
enough  left  in  the  whole  North  to  make  a  corporal's 
guard."  Then  there  was  an  anxious  conversation 
among  the  rebels,  and  the  voice  of  the  spokesman 
was  again  heard.  "Well,  Yank,  we  cheered  when 
we  heard  that  your  little  Mac  was  nominated,  but 
we  don't  feel  much  like  cheering  now." 

The  rebels  could  scarcely  believe  that  Lincoln  was 
actually  elected  by  such  a  majority.  That  fact  cast 
a  deep  gloom  over  them,  and  was  one  of  the  most 
important  Union  victories  of  the  war. 

On  December  6th,  we  were  relieved  by  troops  of 
the  Second  corps,  and  moved  out  in  the  direction  of 
the  Jerusalem  Plank  road,  where  we  encamped  for 
the  night.  Early  the  next  morning  we  were  march 
ing  down  the  Plank  road ;  we  marched  all  day,  and 
learned  that  we  were  to  make  a  raid  upon  the  Wei- 
don  railroad,  which  the  rebels  continued  to  use,  up 
as  far  as  "  Stony  Creek  station,"  from  which  place 
they  transported  their  supplies  by  wagon  around  to 
Petersburgh.  That  night  we  encamped  on  the  bank 
of  the  Ottawa  river. 

At  two  o'clock  the  next  morning  we  were  on  our 
way,  crossed  the  river,  and  marched  past  "Sussex 
Court  House."  It  was  a  very  hard  day's  march,  and 
just  at  night  we  struck  the  railroad  about  two  miles 
above  "  Jarrett's  station."  We  immediately  seized 
and  tore  up  the  railroad  track  for  nearly  twenty  miles, 
and  destroyed  enormous  quantities  of  rebel  supplies. 
We  encamped  for  the  night,  and  our  men  went  out 
to  forage  upon  the  country ;  it  was  a  memorable 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  221 

night  in  the  history  of  our  regiment ;  we  found  it  a 
good  country  for  foraging ;  pigs,  hens,  cattle,  and 
food  of  all  kinds  were  found  in  considerable  quanti 
ties  ;  our  men  also  found  a  large  amount  of  the  liquor 
known  as  "  apple  jack,"  and  under  its  influence  for 
got  all  their  hardships  and  passed  a  merry  night. 
They  were  inspired  to  act  in  various  ways ;  one  little 
fellow  in  our  company  entered  the  stately  mansion 
of  a  venerable  Virginian  who  had  held  high  positions 
in  the  political  circles  of  that  state,  and  in  defiance' 
of  the  old  gentleman's  indignant  threats,  began  to 
search  the  premises.  The  only  things  he  found  that 
were  of  interest  or  value  to  him  was  a  drawer  filled 
with  the  old  gentleman's  linen,  and  a  box  containing 
his  stove-pipe  hat.  These  he  quickly  confiscated, 
and  soon  after  made  his  debut  in  the  company, 
wearing  a  white  linen  shirt  ten  sizes  too  large  for 
him,  with  a  collar  reaching  far  above  his  ears,  its 
corners  being  at  least  several  inches  in  advance  of 
his  chin,  while  on  his  head  was  a  hat  so  venerable  in 
its  appearance  that  one  would  suppose  it  dated  back 
to  the  days  of  the  revolution.  Great  fires  were  built 
of  the  railroad  ties,  and  the  rails  were  laid  across 
them  so  that  they  would  bend  and  twist  in  every  con 
ceivable  form.  Lines  of  men  were  formed,  sham- 
battles  were  fought,  and  the  night  was  one  of  wild 
hilarity  and  mirth.  Many  weeks  had  passed  since 
our  boys  were  on  a  time,  and  they  seemed  determined 
to  make  the  most  of  it. 

The  day  following  we  moved  down  the  railroad 
some  six  miles,  and  encamped,  the  men  still  forag 
ing  and  destroying  everything  that  could  possibly 


222  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAK. 

aid  the  rebellion.  We  remained  there  for  the 
night.  The  railroad  had  now  been  destroyed  for  a 
long  distance,  and  much  damage  done  to  its  rolling 
stock  and  warehouses.  A  cold  storm  of  sleet  and 
rain  began  to  fall,  so  that  in  the  morning  we  were 
covered  with  ice  and  frost.  The  enemy  now  made  his 
appearance,  and  drove  in  our  picket  line,  and  we  re 
ceived  orders  to  fall  back.  The  roads  were  very 
muddy — made  almost  impassable  by  the  storm — but 
we  marched  twenty  miles  very  rapidly,  until  we 
reached  Sussex  Court  House,  where  we  camped  for 
the  night.  The  following  day  we  continued  our 
journey  until  we  regained  our  old  position  on  the 
Jerusalem  Plank  road,  and  here  our  regiment  built 
winter  quarters.  The  men  toiled  hard  and  built  the 
most  comfortable  and  elaborate  quarters  we  had  ever 
enjoyed. 

The  terrible  campaign  of  1864  had  closed.  For 
desperate  fighting  and  enormous  losses  of  life,  its 
parallel  had  never  been  known  in  our  history.  In 
cluding  the  losses  in  the  army  of  the  James,  there  is 
no  doubt  that,  from  the  time  when  General  Grant 
crossed  the  Rapidan  and  entered  the  Wilderness,  to 
the  closing  of  the  active  campaign  the  following  win 
ter,  his  losses  in  killed,  wounded  and  prisoners,  must 
have  reached  the  enormous  number  of  one  hundred 
thousand  men.  It  has  been  estimated  that  of  these, 
thirty  thousand  returned  to  their  regiments,  leaving 
an  actual  loss  of  seventy  thousand  men.  We  had 
captured  over  fifteen  thousand  prisoners,  sixty-seven 
battle-flags,  and  thirty-two  pieces  of  artillery.  As 
we  sat  in  our  tents,  that  winter,  and  looked  back  over 
it  all,  it  seemed  like  a  terrible  dream;  but  as  we 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAB.  223 

thought  of  the  many  brave  men  now  gone,  who  were 
with  us  at  Rappahannock  station,  the  previous  win 
ter,  we  comprehended  its  stern  reality.  We  were 
confident  that  we  had  gained  great  advantages  over 
the  rebels,  and  thought  we  could  see  the  end  drawing 
near.  Our  weeks  in  camp  passed  pleasantly  away; 
our  rations  were  good,  and  the  men  were  healthy; 
there  was  much  picket  duty  to  do,  and  frequent  skir 
mishes  occurred  along  the  line.  Major  Spear  and 
several  others  went  to  Maine  to  obtain  recruits  for 
the  regiment.  The  railroad  was  extended  from  City 
Point  up  to  our  encampment,  so  that  we  received  our 
mail  each  day,  and  all  were  happy. 

On  the  fifth  of  February,  much  to  our  disgust,  we 
broke  camp  and  marched  in  the  direction  of  Hatcher's 
Run.  The  movement  was  made,  to  extend  our  left 
flank  and  to  get  nearer  the  Southside  railroad,  which 
was  the  last  line  of  communication  that  General  Lee 
had  from  Petersburgh  to  the  South.  I  think  that  I 
will  not  attempt  to  describe  that  affair ;  the  boys  will 
all  remember  it,  and  there  are  some  facts  connected 
with  that  battle  which  we  would  not  want  every  one 
to  know.  We  all  remember  the  thick  pine  bushes, 
the  tangled  brush,  the  running  vines,  the  thorn 
bushes,  the  streams  of  water,  the  deep  holes  filled 
with  mud  and  mire,  how  the  rebels  fired  on  us,  and 
how  we  fired  in  return,  and  how  we  got  frightened, 
and  "skedaddled"  back  through  the  woods  like  a 
flock  of  sheep.  We  recollect  it  all,  but  for  the  rep 
utation  of  the  regiment  we  will  not  speak  minutely 
of  those  things  here.  There  is  an  old  adage,  that 
"  He  who  wisely  runs  away, 
Lives  to  fight  another  day," 


224  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

and  we  were  all  alive  when  the  spring  campaign 
opened  the  following  month.  We  did  not  return  to 
our  old  quarters  on  the  Plank  road,  but  encamped 
near  Hatcher's  Run,  so  that  we  could  hold  the  posi 
tion  we  had  wrested  from  the  rebels  at  that  point. 
We  built  rude,  rough  huts,  and  remained  in  them, 
waiting  for  the  orders  to  come  that  would  send  us 
forth  upon  another  campaign. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

FIVE   FORKS. 

THE  bloody  campaign  of  1864  had  closed.  The 
army  of  the  Potomac  was  encircling  the  rebel  capital 
like  a  girdle  of  death.  It  stretched  in  its  power  from 
the  James  river,  upon  its  right,  to  Hatcher's  Run  upon 
the  left.  It  was  evident  to  all  that  the  time  for  the 
last  great  struggle  was  rapidly  approaching.  Grant, 
the  great  Commander-in-chief  of  the  Union  armies, 
was  holding  the  throat  of  the  Confederacy  in  a 
giant's  grasp.  Sherman,  the  invincible  leader  of  the 
southwest,  was  sundering  the  Confederacy  in  twain, 
as  he  marched  to  the  sea.  Sheridan,  the  most  brill 
iant  leader  on  the  continent,  had  destroyed  the 
great  army  of  General  Early,  in  the  Shenandoah 
valley.  The  army  of  the  Potomac  was  in  winter 
quarters,  but  there  was  constant  skirmishing  between 
the  hostile  armies.  Our  brigade  was  encamped  upon 
the  left  of  the  Union  line,  at  Hatcher's  Run,  near  the 
late  battle-field  of  that  name. 

Our  regiment  was  now  quite  large,  as  we  had  re 
ceived  many  recruits  from  Maine,  and  since  many  of 
our  old  fellows  who  had  been  wounded  in  the  Wil 
derness  campaign,  began  to  return.  It  is  impossible 
for  me  to  describe  how  warmly  these  men  were  wel 
comed  to  the  regiment,  and  how  glad  they  were  to 
see  their  old  comrades  again.  Many  of  them  had 
*10 


226  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

been  in  the  hospital  at  Augusta,  and  now,  on  their 
return  to  the  regiment,  brought  us  messages  from 
home.  One  of  these  boys  describes  his  return  to  the 
regiment,  and  the  reception  he  received  from  his 
comrades,  in  the  following  words : 

"  I  had  been  away  from  the  regiment  since  receiv 
ing  my  wound  in  the  Wilderness,  on  the  fifth  of  the 
previous  May.  In  December,  at  Augusta,  Maine,  I 
had  volunteered  to  return  to  my  regiment,  although 
my  wound  was  yet  unhealed.  I  had  been  detained 
a  few  weeks  at  Gallop's  Island,  in  Boston  harbor, 
and  with  hundreds  of  others  had  shivered  and  grum 
bled  in  the  cold,  miserable  barracks  that  crowned 
that  bleak  island.  I  had  been  storm-tossed  for  a 
week  or  more,  and  nearly  wrecked  on  the  over 
crowded  Government  transport,  4De  Molay,'  and 
was  then  landed  at  City  Point,  in  Virginia,  where 
for  a  few  days  I  was  permitted  to  enjoy  the  very 
pleasant  associations  of  the  Distribution  camp  at  that 
place — the  camp  that  enjoyed  the  classical  title  of 
4  Bull  Pen.'  Both  pen  and  time  would  fail  me  were 
I  to  attempt  to  describe  it.  Language  cannot  do 
justice  to  the  subject,  so  I  pass  it  in  silence,  only  ask 
ing  the  old  soldiers  who  with  me  passed  a  few  days 
in  that  camp  to  remember  with  me  for  a  moment  all 
the  discomforts  of  that  filthy  place.  At  length  the 
order  came  for  all  the  men  who  belonged  to  the  Fifth 
corps  to  march  out  through  the  gate  of  the  high 
picket  fence  that  inclosed  the  camp.  It  was  the  most 
joyous  summons  I  received  during  the  three  years  of 
my  service.  I  hastened  to  my  bunk,  from  which  I 
had  been  absent  but  a  few  moments,  and  found  that 


BEMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAB.  227 

in  my  absence  some  one  had  stolen  my  overcoat.  It 
was  no  use  to  endeavor  to  find  stolen  property  in  a 
place  like  that,  but  it  would  not  answer  for  me  to  go 
to  the  front  at  that  season  of  the  year  without  an 
overcoat.  There  was  only  one  method  of  redress. 
My  nearest  neighbor  was  sound  asleep.  He  had  a 
new  overcoat  folded  under  his  head  for  a  pillow.  I 
gently  raised  his  head,  removed  the  coat,  and  went 
on  my  way  rejoicing,  leaving  the  brave  soldier  boy 
to  dream  of  'home  and  mother.'  For  several  miles 
we  rode  on  the  military  railroad  the  army  had  con 
structed  from  City  Point  up  near  Petersburgh. 
Then  a  short  march  across  the  country  brought  me 
near  the  locality  where  our  regiment  must  be  en 
camped.  '  Where  is  the  camp  of  the  Twentieth 
Maine  ?  '  I  yelled  to  a  fellow  who  was  passing  in  my 
front,  with  a  dozen  canteens  hanging  over  his  shoul 
der.  4  Over  there,'  and  he  pointed  to  a  cluster  of 
white  tents  standing  upon  the  plain  some  thirty  rods 
away. 

"  The  sun  was  just  setting  at  the  close  of  day.  I 
felt  strangely  happy.  I  wanted  to  see  the  boys. 
I  felt  like  one  returning  home  after  a  long  absence. 
The  old  flag  was  unfurled  in  front  of  the  colonel's 
tent.  Our  orderly  sergeant  was  standing  in  the 
street  of  Company  H,  making  a  picket  detail  for  the 
following  day.  He  saw  me  approaching  under  the 
weight  of  a  well-filled  knapsack,  and  calling  me  by 
name,  said,  4  You  will  report  for  picket  to-morrow.' 
I  was  quickly  surrounded  by  old  comrades,  from 
whom  I  received  such  a  welcome.  But,  alas,  how 
many  forms  had  vanished !  How  many  voices  had 


228  KEMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAK. 

been  hushed!  Horton,  Merriam,  Davis,  York,  and  a 
score  of  other  brave  fellows  had  been  taken  from  us 
since  we  entered  the  Wilderness,  but  Clark,  Wins- 
low,  Morrison,  Tarbell,  Gilmore,  and  a  few  others  re 
mained,  while  the  depleted  ranks  of  the  company 
had  been  filled  with  recruits  whom  I  had  never  seen. 
The  boys  were  bronzed  with  sun  and  storm ;  they 
were  hardy  and  rugged,  but  the  same  grand  old  fel 
lows  whose  society  I  had  missed  so  much.  With 
the  liberty  always  exercised  by  old  soldiers,  they 
quickly  made  themselves  familiar  with  the  contents 
of  my  knapsack,  and  the  fine  woolen  underclothing 
and  stockings  that  I  had  purchased  in  Maine  were 
quickly  appropriated  to  their  use.  I  never  gave  my 
consent  to  this,  because  it  was  never  asked,  but  I  do 
know  that  it  gave  me  much  more  satisfaction  to  thus 
supply  their  wants  than  it  did  them  to  have  their 
wants  supplied.  It  was  late  that  night  before  I  went 
to  sleep.  I  had  to  tell  the  boys  about  Maine,  and  of 
their  friends  whom  I  had  met,  and  they  told  me  of 
Laurel  hill,  Cold  Harbor,  Peeble's  farm,  and  many 
other  bloody  fields  where  our  brave  men  had  fought 
and  died.  It  was  a  sad,  and  yet  a  joyous  evening. 
One  laughable  event  occurred  at  the  evening  roll 
call.  When  my  name  was  called,  and  I  answered  to 
it,  a  number  of  recruits  who  had  joined  the  com 
pany  after  I  left,  and  who  now  fancied  they  were  old 
soldiers,  supposing  I  was  a  recruit,  gathered  around 
me  to  initiate  me  into  the  mysteries  of  a  soldier's 
life.  I  thought  of  the  recruits  the  winter  before  at 
Rappahannock  station,  of  the  jokes  we  then  played 
upon  them,  and  as  I  thus  found  myself  mistaken  for 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  229 

one  of  that  unfortunate  class,  and  almost  made  a 
victim  of  the  same  jokes  I  had  helped  to  originate,  I 
felt  that  for  the  recruits  '  time  had  brought  its  re 
venge.'  I  found  the  boys  all  in  excellent  spirits. 
They  were  determined,  like  their  great  commander, 
'To  fight  it  out  on  that  line.'  The  re-election  of 
President  Lincoln  had  been  a  source  of  gratification 
to  the  army,  and  every  man  was  determined  that  no 
compromise  should  be  made  with  treason." 

Our  regiment  was  only  encamped  at  that  place  for 
a  few  weeks,  and  the  quarters  were  nbt  nearly  as 
comfortable  as  they  had  been  at  Rappahannock  sta 
tion,  but  we  made  life  enjoyable.  We  told  stories, 
sang  songs,  went  out  on  picket,  foraged  what  we 
could,  and  played  many  games  which  I  think  that  it 
would  be  better  not  to  name,  as  it  is  not  fair  to  tell 
tales  out  of  school.  The  days  passed  very  rapidly, 
and  those  few  weeks  spent  on  the  banks  of  Hatch 
er's  Run  will  be  pleasantly  remembered  by  the  sur 
viving  members  of  our  regiment.  The  weather  was 
unusually  fine,  the  bands  played  their  most  de 
licious  strains  of  music,  and  the  men 'were  all  anx 
ious  for  the  forward  movement  to  be  made. 

Each  day  we  saw  new  indications  of  the  fearful 
struggle  so  soon  to  open.  Slowly  and  surely  the 
cords  of  death  were  drawn  around  the  gallant  army 
of  General  Lee.  We  knew,  although  the  coming 
campaign  might  be  brief,  that  it  would  be  one  of  the 
most  desperate  and  bloody  of  the  war.  Notwith 
standing  all  the  joy  and  mirth  in  our  regiment,  there 
were  some  anxious  hours  in  those  days  of  active 
preparations.  Some  had  been  with  the  regiment 


230  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAR. 

every  day  since  it  had  been  mustered  into  the  ser 
vice,  had  suffered  in  all  its  fatigue,  endured  all  its 
hardships,  and  fought  in  all  its  battles,  and  only  six 
months  of  their  three  years  of  service  remained  un- 
served.  It  is  not  strange  that  these  soldiers  were  a 
little  anxious  about  the  future,  and  wondered  if 
they  had  been  spared  through  all  the  past,  to  fall  in 
that  last  campaign  of  the  war. 

One  of  the  bravest  men  in  our  regiment  was  Mor 
rison,  of  Company  H.  He  had  been  twice  wounded, 
the  last  time  receiving  a  severe  injury  in  his  hip, 
from  whicli  he  could  never  fully  recover.  The  sur 
geon  informed  him  that  he  was  not  in  a  condition  to 
endure  the  hardships  of  a  march,  and  that  he  had 
better  go  back  to  the  hospital  and  receive  a  dis 
charge.  Lieutenant  Bickford,  commanding  our  com 
pany,  although  disliking  to  lose  so  valuable  a  soldier, 
seconded  the  burgeon's  advice.  We  all  urged  him  to 
go  back,  but  the  brave  fellow  could  not  find  it  in  his 
heart  to  leave  the  regiment  on  the  eve  of  battle.  We 
were  under  marching  orders ;  to-morrow  we  were  to 
march  under  Sheridan,  to  make  a  movement  upon  our 
extreme  left ;  that  morning  would  be  his  last  op 
portunity  to  go  back.  We  slept  in  the  same  tent, 
under  the  same  blanket ;  we  talked  over  the  scenes 
of  our  childhood,  for  we  had  been  boys  together.  I 
urged  him  to  go  back,  told  him  that  he  had  done  his 
part  of  the  fighting,  and  that  he  should  leave  the  rest 
to  be  done  by  those  who  were  more  able.  When  I 
had  concluded,  he  made  known  his  decision  in  these 
words :  "  Whether  I  live  or  die  it  shall  never  be  said 
that  Morrison  went  to  the  rear  when  his  regiment  was 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAE.  231 

marching  to   the   front."     The   results   of  that   de 
cision  will  soon  be  narrated. 

One  little  incident,  showing  the  desperate  courage 
of  one  Southern  soldier,  is  worthy  of  mention. 
While  we  were  encamped  at  Hatcher's  Run,  our 
picket  line  was  established  near  the  battle-field  of  the 
same  name.  In  a  little  fort  on  the  bank  of  the 
stream,  which  we  had  captured  from  the  rebels  was 
the  grave  of  the  soldier  to  whom  I  referred  above.  He 
was  a  sergeant  in  a  South  Carolina  regiment.  When 
our  line  of  battle  advanced  it  was  obliged  to  cross 
Hatcher's  Run  before  it  could  reach  this  fort.  But 
when  the  rebels  saw  oar  line  forming  on  the  opposite 
bank,  they  deserted  the  fort  in  a  most  cowardly  man 
ner.  All  fled  but  this  sergeant ;  he  gathered  up  a 
pile  of  rifles  that  his  comrades  had  thrown  away,  and 
took  his  stand  in  an  angle  of  the  fort,  behind  a  tree. 
The  stream  was  deep,  and  our  only  means  of  cross 
ing  was  on  the  trunk  of  a  fallen  tree.  A  Union 
soldier  sprang  upon  the  log.  There  was  the  flash  of 
a  rifle  in  the  fort,  and  the  soldier  fell  a  corpse.  An 
other  followed,  and  fell  in  like  manner.  Another, 
and  yet  another,  went  down  before  the  same  unerring 
aim,  until  seven  of  our  men  were  dead,  and  not  a 
rifle  in  the  line  could  be  brought  to  bear  upon  him. 
The  advance  of  the  whole  line  was  checked,  and  no 
one  volunteered  to  step  forth  to  certain  death.  But 
in  this  moment  of  uncertainty,  a  sharpshooter  from  a 
tree  top  some  little  distance  in  the  rear  saw  the  rebel 
sergeant.  He  took  careful  aim  ;  a  bullet  went  sing 
ing  through  the  air,  and  he  was  dead.  Our  men 
kindly  sent  his  effects  to  his  friends  in  South  Caro- 


232  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

lina,  gave  him  a  good  burial  in  the  fort  where  he  fell, 
marked  his  grave,  and  on  the  wooden  slab  above  his 
remains  wrote  the  story  of  his  daring  deed. 

On  the  twenty-ninth  of  March  we  broke  camp,  and 
moved  in  the  direction  of  Dinwiddie  Court  House. 
It  was  a  rough  country  through  which  we  passed, 
and  our  advance  was  necessarily  slow.  Our  regi 
ment  was  commanded  by  Colonel  Walter  G.  Merrill. 
A  dense  forest  covered  a  large  portion  of  the  country, 
broken  here  and  there  by  small  clearings.  There 
were  many  ridges  of  land,  broken  and  ragged  with 
rocks  and  deep  ravines,  through  which  rushed  and 
roared  deep  streams  of  water. 

Soon  after  we  broke  camp  a  detail  was  made  for 
men  to  go  out  as  flankers,  and  I  was  named  as  one 
of  them.  We  penetrated  the  thick  forest,  and  formed 
our  line  some  eighty  rods  from  the  column  of  troops, 
and  moved  in  a  parallel  line  with  them.  We  had 
not  gone  far,  before  we  came  in  contact  with  the  ene 
my's  skirmish  line,  which  we  were  ordered  to  drive 
back  upon  their  line  of  battle.  This  was  an  ex 
citing  and  somewhat  dangerous  task.  We  advanced 
on  a  double-quick  through  the  woods,  across  fields  and 
ravines  in  which  wild  grape  vines,  thorn  bushes,  and 
a  thousand  obstacles  impeded  our  way.  Our  clothes 
were  torn  into  shreds,  and  blood  flowed  freely  from 
our  lacerated  flesh.  The  enemy  would  occasionally 
make  a  stand  and  fight,  and  the  minie-balls  would  fly 
back  and  forth  in  a  lively  manner.  A  number  of 
men  on  both  sides  were  killed  and  wounded. 

We  followed  them  for  a  mile,  and  halted  on  the 
edge  of  a  large  field.  It  was  now  past  noon.  Heavy 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  233 

firing  was  heard  on  our  right,  both  musketry  and 
artillery.  It  was  but  a  short  distance  from  us,  and 
we  knew  that  our  division  had  encountered  the 
enemy.  For  an  hour  we  listened  with  much  anxiety, 
and  then  the  order  came  for  us  to  advance.  We 
crossed  the  field,  and  found  the  rebels  in  the  woods, 
on  the  other  side.  The  roar  of  battle  on  our  right 
inspired  us,  and  we  rushed  upon  them.  They  gave 
us  a  heavy  skirmish  fire,  and  then  fell  back  for  a 
half  mile,  we  following  them  very  closely.  Suddenly 
there  was  a  sheet  of  flame  in  our  front.  Whiz, 
crash,  bang,  went  a  dozen  shells  above  our  heads. 
We  had  reached  the  enemy's  line  of  battle,  and  a 
heavy  infantry  fire  was  also  opened  upon  us.  It  was 
of  course  impossible  to  advance  further.  It  would 
be  folly  to  remain  where  we  were,  and  so  we  fell 
rapidly  back. 

Many  of  our  men  were  wounded  before  we  got  out 
of  the  range  of  the  enemy's  guns.  One,  a  brave 
young  fellow  from  Massachusetts,  fell,  shot  through 
both  legs.  We  would  not  leave  him  in  the  hands  of 
the  rebels,  and  laid  him  upon  a  blanket,  to  carry  him 
back.  He  was  much  excited,  and  was  determined 
not  to  be  carried  off  the  field.  He  called  us  misera 
ble  cowards  for  falling  back  from  the  enemy,  and 
pleaded  with  us  to  put  him  down,  and  with  our  little 
skirmish  line  charge  upon  the  rebels'  line  of  battle. 

We  were  soon  relieved,  and  returned  to  our  com 
mand.  We  found  that  our  brigade  had  not  been  en 
gaged,  but  that  General  Chamberlain  with  his  bri 
gade  had  fought  a  severe  battle  with  the  enemy  on 
the  Boydston  Plank  road,  and  had  carried  their  po- 


234  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR. 

sition  with  heavy  loss.  General  Chamberlain  had 
gallantly  led  his  troops  in  their  charge,  had  been 
slightly  wounded,  and  had  received  nearly  a  dozen 
bullets  through  his  clothes.  Our  brigade  was  sent 
to  relieve  his,  and  we  advanced  across  the  field  of 
battle.  Many  dead  were  lying  upon  the  ground. 
The  rebels  had  evidently  fallen  back  upon  a  stronger 
line  of  works,  in  the  rear  of  those  carried  by  Chamber 
lain.  We  advanced  cautiously  along  the  narrow 
road.  Soon  there  was  a  fearful  roar  in  the  woods, 
just  in  our  front,  and  a  score  of  shells  came  scream 
ing  through  the  air,  just  above  our  heads.  The  en 
emy  had  an  excellent  range  of  our  position.  We 
halted  while  our  officers  endeavored  to  ascertain  the 
strength  of  the  enemy's  position,  which  they  soon 
discovered  was  very  great,  and  could  only  be  car 
ried  with  great  loss  of  life,  and,  after  dark,  we  were 
withdrawn. 

I  remember  one  very  sad  event  that  occurred  while 
we  were  lying  there  under  the  enemy's  fire.  A  gray- 
haired  soldier  came  down  along  the  road  where  our 
dead  men  were  scattered  upon  the  ground.  He  was 
evidently  in  search  of  something.  At  last,  with  a 
heartrending  groan,  he  sat  down  beside  a  dead  body, 
and  wept  as  if  his  heart  would  break.  It  was  a 
father  mourning  for  his  son.  They  were  both  mem 
bers  of  a  Massachusetts  regiment,  and  the  son  had 
been  killed  in  the  brilliant  charge  they  had  so  re 
cently  made. 

We  returned  a  short  distance  to  the  rear,  and  then 
marched  to  a  position  upon  the  right  of  the  fortifica 
tions  from  which  we  had  just  fallen  back,  and  halted 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  235 

in  an  open  field.  Our  regiment  formed  a  part  of  a  line 
drawn  up  beside  some  farm  buildings.  It  was  now 
ten  o'clock  at  night.  Great  masses  of  black  clouds 
obscured  the  sky,  and  the  darkness  was  intense. 
"  Throw  up  fortifications,"  was  the  order  given,  and 
quickly  obeyed.  The  huge  barn  and  out-buildings, 
built  of  hewn  logs,  were  torn  down  and  piled  up,  and 
upon  these  we  threw  an  enormous  quantity  of  earth, 
and  soon  had  a  comparatively  strong  line  of  defense. 
We  were  all  very  tired,  but  had  a  jolly  time  in 
building  these  works.  Near  the  barn  there  was  a  deep 
well  partially  filled  with  water,  which  in  the  dark 
ness  we  had  not  noticed.  Two  of  us  were  carry 
ing  a  great  stick  of  timber  upon  our  shoulders ;  my 
chum  carrying  the  foremost  end,  while  I  was 
staggering  along  in  the  rear.  Suddenly,  without  a 
word  of  warning,  the  forward  end  of  the  timber 
came  to  the  ground.  It  was  so  dark  that  I  could  not 
see  my  companion.  I  loudly  called  his  name,  and  to 
my  surprise,  when  his  voice  came  back  in  reply,  it 
came  from  the  depths  of  the  earth.  I  quickly  made 
my  way  to  the  scene  of  disaster,  and  found  him  in  a 
well  twenty  feet  deep,  and  up  to  his  ears  in  water. 
An  alarm  was  given,  assistance  quickly  arrived,  and 
we  at  last  succeeded  in  fishing  him  out.  At  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning  the  line  of  works  was  com 
pleted.  The  rain  was  now  pouring  down  in  torrents. 
We  spread  our  blankets  upon  the  driest  spots  we 
could  find,  and  lay  down  to  sleep.  Daylight  dawned, 
cold,  wet,  and  cheerless.  As  the  thick,  heavy  mists 
gradually  cleared  away  we  saw  the  rebels'  advanced 
line  intrenched  upon  the  field  in  our  front,  some 


236  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

eighty  rods  distant.     Theirs  were  light  defenses,  and 
evidently  covered  stronger  ones  in  their  rear. 

The  rain  continued  to  fall  in  great  quantities,  but 
there  was  no  firing  between  the  hostile  lines,  and  so 
we  sat  in  the  mud  and  looked  at  each  other  until  late 
in  the  afternoon.  At  four  o'clock  we  advanced,  and 
carried  the  enemy's  works  by  assault,  they  falling 
back  to  the  woods  beyond.  We  then  moved  to  the 
right  flank,  for  a  short  distance,  and  formed  our  line, 
to  charge  upon  the  rebel  works,  a  skirmish  line  be 
ing  thrown  out  in  advance.  The  rebels  opened  upon 
us  with  artillery,  and  shells  fell-  all  around  us.  It  was 
evident  that  the  enemy  was  prepared  to  receive  us. 
The  charge  was  not  made,  and  we  returned  to  the 
rebel  earthworks  we  had  just  captured,  and  these  we 
made  as  strong  as  possible.  Before  dark  our  skir 
mishers  were  driven  in  by  the  rebel  line  of  battle, 
which  was  advancing  to  recapture  the  line  of  works. 
A  battery  was  sent  out  to  support  our  regiment. 
The  guns  were  placed  right  in  the  line  of  battle,  and 
were  heavily  charged  with  grape  and  canister.  On 
came  the  rebels  with  a  deafening  cheer.  It  was  fun 
to  see  them  advance.  Our  infantry  and  artillery 
opened  upon  them,  but  only  for  a  few  moments. 
Their  columns  were  not  heavy  enough  to  withstand 
our  fire,  and  they  were  driven  back,  leaving  a  num 
ber  of  prisoners  in  our  hands.  We  presented  a  sin 
gular  appearance  at  that  time,  as  we  had  been  lying 
flat  upon  our  faces  in  red  colored  mud,  that  now 
covered  our  uniforms,  our  hands  and  faces  being 
black  with  burning  powder,  and  our  clothes  torn. 
We  did  not  much  resemble  the  regiment  that  had 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    WAR.  237 

moved  out  of  camp  at  Hatcher's  Run  only  two  days 
before. 

We  remained  in  those  works,  that  cold,  damp, 
frosty  night.  Our  wet  blankets  were  spread  upon 
the  muddy  ground,  and  we  soon  forgot  all  hardships 
and  danger  in  a  glorious,  restful  sleep.  In  the  morn 
ing  we  were  relieved,  and  marched  a  mile  or  more  to 
the  left,  and  stacked  our  guns  in  a  small  field  sur 
rounded  by  the  dense  forest.  The  storm  had  passed 
away,  and  the  sun  shone  down  warm  and  bright 
through  the  broken  clouds.  Our  blankets  were 
spread  upon  the  ground  to  dry.  We  kindled  fires 
and  cooked  our  coffee.  As  we  were  enjoying  our 
dinner,  there  was  a  fearful  roar  in  our  front,  less  than 
a  mile  away, — cannons,  musketry  and  cheering,  all 
mingling  in  one  terrible  roar, — and  to  our  dismay  we 
found  that  the  awful  tide  was  rolling  toward  us. 
We  instantly  understood  its  meaning;  the  rebels 
had  charged  upon  our  line,  and  were  driving  it  back. 
An  orderly  came  dashing  back  to  General  Griffin, 
with  orders  for  him  to  take  his  division  in,  on  the 
double-quick,  and  fill  the  gap  made  in  our  line  by 
the  falling  back  of  the  third  division.  The  bugle 
notes  rang  out,  u  Fall  in,"  "  Fall  in ";  the  officers 
shouted  their  commands ;  the  weary  men  sprang  into 
line  ;  we  caught  our  guns  from  the  stacks,  and  by 
the  right  flank  rushed  toward  the  scene  of  conflict. 
We  soon  encountered  the  broken  fragments  of  the 
retreating  division,  closely  pursued  by  the  rebels, 
but  reached  a  crest  of  land  overlooking  Gravelly 
Run.  It  was  a  good  position.  The  rebels  must  de 
scend  a  hill  in  our  front,  cross  Gravelly  Run,  and 


238  [REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR. 

then  climb  the  hill  upon  which  our  line  would  be 
formed.  Our  colonel  gave  the  order,  "  By  battalion 
into  line  !  "  and  we  quickly  formed  upon  the  crest  of 
the  hill.  It  was  an  exciting  moment.  The  rebel 
line  was  advancing,  in  plain  view,  down  the  hill  on 
the  other  side  of  the  stream.  Artillery  had  gone 
into  position,  and  was  throwing  shells  over  our 
heads ;  the  bands  played ;  the  cannons  roared ;  our 
muskets  crashed  with  awful  force ;  the  hill  itself 
shivered  as  if  with  fear.  The  rebel  line  came  to  the 
stream,  but  could  come  no  further,  and  was  thrown 
back.  General  Chamberlain's  brigade,  on  our  right, 
gallantly  advanced,  and  occupied  the  position  from 
which  Crawford's  division  had  been  driven,  and  the 
fortunes  of  the  day  were  restored.  Our  wounded 
men  were  cared  for,  the  dead  were  buried,  and  we 
were  soon  preparing  for  the  startling  events  that 
were  to  transpire  within  the  next  few  hours — events 
that  were  destined  to  be  death  blows  to  the  Southern 
Confederacy,  and  also  to  perpetuate  the  union  of  the 
stars  and  stripes. 

It  is  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  March  31st, 
1865,  and  the  battle  of  Gravelly  Run  has  been  fought 
and  won,  but  a  fearful  conflict  is  raging  elsewhere. 
Away  beyond  us,  far  down  on  our  extreme  left,  we 
can  hear  the  roar  of  battle,  the  booming  of  cannon, 
and  the  heavy  crash  of  musketry.  We  have  no  in 
fantry  at  that  point,  and  it  must  be  Sheridan  and  his 
cavalry  coping  with  the  enemy,  down  near  the  South- 
side  railroad.  How  intently  we  listened  !  The  bat 
tle  tides  were  receding,  and  it  was  evident  that  Sher 
idan's  force  was  being  borne  back  by  the  enemy. 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR.  239 

General  Warren,  commanding  our  corps,  became 
nervous  and  restless ;  his  mission  is  to  support  Sher 
idan's  movement,  and  he  has  already  led  his  troops 
through  many  obstacles,  and  is  now  awaiting  further 
orders.  His  black  eyes  flash  forth  the  intensity  of 
his  thought,  and  his  classic  features  become  pale,  as 
he  listens  to  the  sounds  of  battle  growing  each  mo 
ment  more  indistinct.  At  last  he  exclaimed,  "  I  can 
endure  this  no  longer,  and  without  orders  I  will  en 
deavor  to  send  aid  to  Sheridan ;  Bartlett's  old  brigade 
must  endeavor  to  make  its  way  to  Sheridan's  relief." 
A  staff  officer  dashed  away  to  Bartlett,  and  soon 
our  lines  were  formed,  and  we  marched  in  the  direc 
tion  of  the  distant  battle.  The  narrow  road  along 
which  we  marched  was  lined  on  either  hand  with  a 
dense  growth  of  pine  trees ;  the  sun  was  sinking  from 
view,  and  the  tall  trees  cast  their  lengthening  shadows 
across  our  pathway.  It  was  to  us  a  time  of  thrilling 
interest,  as  we  all  understood  the  situation.  Our  bri 
gade  was  detached  from  the  army,  and  was  marching 
through  that  great  forest  to  meet  an  enemy  of  whose 
strength  and  location  we  knew  nothing.  The  sounds 
of  battle  in  our  front  died  away.  The  darkness  be 
came  so  intense  that  it  was  not  prudent  to  proceed 
further,  especially  as  nothing  was  to  be  gained  by 
such  a  course.  The  pickets  were  sent  out,  and  we 
lay  down  to  sleep  and  rest.  At  midnight  we  were 
aroused  with  the  information  that  our  pickets  had 
discovered  the  enemy,  who  was  in  great  force  in  our 
immediate  front,  so  near  that  they  could  easily  listen 
to  the  conversation  of  their  pickets,  and  also  of  the 
soldiers  behind  their  breastworks.  Silently  we  fell 


240  REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   "WAR. 

into  line,  and  retracing  our  steps  along  the  way  we 
came  for  several  miles,  encamped  for  the  remainder 
of  the  night. 

The  morning  of  April  1st  was  clear,  but  cold  and 
frosty.  We  were  early  on  the  march,  moving  to  the 
left  of  the  point  from  which  we  had  fallen  back  the 
previous  night.  The  whole  corps  had  arrived.  We 
were  moving  in  a  direction  that  would  bring  us  to  a 
place  known  as  Five  Forks,  near  which  Sheridan  had 
fought  the  day  before.  About  ten  o'clock  in  the 
forenoon  we  halted  in  the  edge  of  an  oak  wood,  and 
there  remained  until  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 
The  Southside  railroad  was  of  great  importance  to 
General  Lee,  because  over  that  road  he  brought  all  the 
provisions  for  his  army  in  Richmond  and  Petersburg!! ; 
it  was  the  life  line  that  connected  the  Confederacy 
and  its  capital.  If  that  line  of  connection  was  cut, 
Richmond  must  be  abandoned.  To  guard  this  road, 
General  Lee  had  sent  a  large  force  of  troops,  which 
had  constructed  a  long  line  of  breastworks  running 
parallel  with  the  road  for  its  defense.  The  center  of 
this  line  of  defenses  was  at  a  point  known  as  Five 
Forks,  so  named  from  the  five  roads  that  centered 
there.  Sheridan  had  advanced  upon  these  works,  on 
the  31st,  but  not  being  supported  by  infantry,  had 
been  crowded  back  for  several  miles.  But  General 
Warren  had  now  arrived,  and  Sheridan's  plan  was  to 
advance  with  his  cavalry  in  front  of  the  works,  and, 
while  thus  attracting  the  enemy's  attention,  cause  the 
Fifth  corps  to  advance  to  their  rear  and  take  them 
by  surprise. 

At  two  o'clock  our   corps  was  formed  for  the  ad- 


BEMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  241 

vance,  in  two  lines  of  battle,  our  regiment  being  in 
the  second  line.  We  were  to  advance  over  a  rough, 
broken  country  filled  with  ravines  and  covered  with 
a  thick  growth  of  forest  trees.  Having  marched 
for  some  two  or  three  miles,  the  lines  were  so 
changed  while  we  were  marching,  that  we  soon 
found  we  were  in  the  front  line.  Our  regiment  and 
the  First  Michigan  were  under  the  command  of  Colo 
nel  Walter  G.  Morrill,  and  in  all  our  previous  expe 
rience  we  had  never  been  led  by  a  braver  or  more 
skillful  commander.  We  climbed  a  hill,  looked  down 
through  the  trees,  and  saw  the  breastworks  but  a 
short  distance  in  our  front.  We  had  advanced  so 
quietly  that  the  enemy  was  not  aware  of  our  pres 
ence.  Our  lines  were  reformed,  and  then  with  a  yell 
we  charged.  Before  the  enemy  had  time  to  recover 
from  their  surprise,  we  were  upon  them,  so  that 
they  threw  down  their  guns  without  firing  a  shot,  and 
surrendered.  The  number  of  prisoners  embarrassed 
us,  and  we  sent  them  to  the  rear  as  fast  as  we  could, 
but  they  must  have  had  ten  men  to  our  one.  They 
soon  discovered  the  superiority  of  their  numbers, 
and  the  mistake  they  had  made  in  surrendering.  A 
large  portion  of  our  men  had  gone  to  the  rear  with 
prisoners,  when  a  rebel  officer  came  dashing  down  the 
line,  calling  upon  them  to  rally.  A  rebel  who  had 
surrendered  was  standing  near  Colonel  Morrill,  and 
catching  up  from  the  ground  a  loaded  rifle,  yelled 
with  an  oath,  "  We  can  whip  you  yet,"  and  deliber 
ately  shot  a  captain  of  the  First  Michigan  regiment 
who  stood  beside  him.  At  the  same  moment  a  pri 
vate  of  Company  D  in  our  regiment  thrust  his 


242  KEMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

bayonet  through  the  breast  of  the  treacherous  rebel, 
who  fell  dead  at  his  feet.  In  a  moment's  time  the 
battle  was  raging  all  along  our  line.  It  was  hot 
work,  and  in  many  places  it  was  a  hand-to-hand  fight. 
Men  deliberately  pointed  their  rifles  in  each  other's 
faces,  and  fired.  Clubbed  muskets  came  crushing 
down  in  deadly  force  upon  human  skulls.  Men  were 
bayoneted  in  cold  blood.  Feats  of  individual  brav 
ery  were  performed  on  that  afternoon,  which,  if  re 
corded,  would  fill  a  volume.  I  can  only  refer  to  a 
portion  of  them. 

On  the  right  of  Company  H  were  four  men  ;  one 
of  them  was  Morrison,  whose  name  I  have  men 
tioned  before,  a  man  of  gigantic  strength  and  re 
markable  bravery.  Another  of  the  four  was  Gil- 
more  ;  he  was  equal  to  Morrison  in  bravery,  and 
nearly  his  match  in  physical  strength.  The  third 
was  Hickey,  a  man  of  Scotch-Irish  descent,  who 
had  served  in  the  regular  army  of  England,  and 
who  had  deserted  and  come  to  our  country,  and  en 
listed  in  our  regiment.  He  was  tall  and  robust,  a 
perfect  mass  of  bone  and  muscle.  The  fourth  was 
younger  in  }^ears,  and  more  slender  in  form  than  his 
companions.  When  we  reached  the  rebel  breast 
works,  they  threw  down  their  arms  and  surrendered. 
They  were  densely  packed  in  our  front,  as  men 
gather  in  a  crowd  upon  a  public  square.  Some  ten 
rods  from  the  breastworks  upon  which  we  stood,  we 
saw  a  rebel  flag  leaning  against  a  tree ;  to  reach  it 
we  would  have  to  pass  through  this  great  crowd  of 
men.  Morrison  saw  the  flag,  and  waving  his  hat, 
called,  "Come  on,  boys,  and  we  will  capture  the 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR.  243 

flag  !  "  and  suiting  his  action  to  his  words,  he  sprang 
over  among  the  rebels,  and  was  quickly  followed  by 
the  three  men  above  described.  There  was  evi 
dently  no  danger,  as  the  rebels  were  not  disposed  to 
fight,  and  the  four  men  easily  made  their  way 
through  the  crowd  that  opened  to  receive  them, 
until  they  had  passed  over  one-half  the  distance  be 
tween  the  breastworks  and  the  flag.  At  least  four 
hundred  rebels  were  packed  between  them  and  their 
comrades.  It  was  at  this  moment  that  the  enemy 
rallied,  and  these  four  men  found  themselves  sur 
rounded  on  e.very  hand,  cut  off  from  their  comrades, 
and  all  hope  of  escape  destroyed.  But  Morrison 
cried :  "  We  will  fight  our  way  back  to  the  regi 
ment  ! "  and  the  others  turned  to  obey  his  command. 
A  rebel  officer  sprang  at  Morrison's  throat,  and  called 
Upon  him  to  surrender.  The  brave  soldier  brought 
the  heavy  stock  of  his  rifle  down  with  such  crushing 
force  upon  the  officer's  head  that  he  fell  dead  at  his 
feet.  It  was  now  a  most  desperate  fight.  They 
were  in  such  close  quarters  that  neither  party  could 
well  shoot.  On  one  side  it  was  half  a  hundred  men 
striking  and  surging  back  and  forth,  thinking  only 
of  revenge  and  victory,  on  the  other,  four  men,  sin 
gle-handed,  pounding  their  way  through  all  op 
position.  The  contest  was  as  unequal  as  it  was 
desperate.  The  most  fearful  blows  were  given 
and  returned,  but  the  four  men,  standing  side  by 
side,  managed  to  stand  upon  their  feet,  slowly  ad 
vancing  as  they  fought,  until  bleeding,  bruised,  and 
stunned,  they  sprang  from  the  rebel  crowd,  and 
reached  an  open  space  of  ground  between  their  com- 


244  KEMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

rades  and  the  rebels.  At  that  moment  the  baffled 
enemy  poured  a  deadly  volley  upon  the  escaping 
soldiers.  Morrison  sprang  high  in  the  air,  arid 
fell  with  a  deathly  groan.  Gilmore  sank  upon  the 
ground  as  if  dead,  Hickey  reeled  and  staggered,  while 
the  other  received  a  rifle  ball  in  the  left  arm,  but 
succeeded  in  reaching  the  breastworks,  and  rejoined 
the  regiment. 

This  was  the  supreme  moment  of  the  conflict ;  the 
rebels  would  climb  up  on  one  side  of  the  breastworks, 
and  our  men  on  the  other  side  would  knock  them 
back.  We  heard  bugles  in  our  front,  and  out  from 
a  piece  of  woods  some  eighty  rods  away  came  dash 
ing  squadrons  of  cavalry.  With  a  cheer  our  men 
sprang  over  the  works,  and  upon  the  rebels,  who 
reeled  and  staggered  before  us.  Colonel  Merrill  was 
in  the  thickest  of  the  fight ;  Captain  Fernald  dashed 
among  the  enemy  and  captured  a  flag;  Bickford, 
Fogler,  and  a  score  of  other  officers  in  our  regiment 
led  on  their  men.  It  was  becoming  too  hot  for  the 
Johnnies,  and  they  turned  to  ran.  It  was  too  late; 
Sheridan  threw  his  lines  around  them  like  a  girdle  of 
death,  and  five  thousand  prisoners  were  captured. 
While  our  regiment  was  thus  engaged,  General 
Ayers,  with  the  first  division,  and  General  Chamber 
lain,  with  a  brigade  of  our  division,  were  fighting  on 
our  left,  and,  when  the  rebels  broke  before  our  ad 
vance,  their  whole  line  was  in  our  possession,  save 
one  position  on  our  right.  We  all  rushed  with  wild 
enthusiasm  in  that  direction;  Sheridan  went  dashing 
past  us,  wild  with  the  excitement  of  victory,  shouting, 
as  he  swung  his  clenched  hand  through  the  air, 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAK.  245 

"  Smash  'em !  Smash  'em !  We  have  a  record  to 
make  before  the  sun  goes  down;  we  must  have  the 
Southside  road."  An  open  field  was  in  front  of  the 
last  position  the  rebels  held.  General  Warren  caught 
the  corps  flag  from  the  hand  of  the  man  who  carried 
it,  and  dashed  across  this  field,  leading  on  a  column 
of  soldiers  he  had  hastily  formed  for  the  charge. 
It  was  the  most  gallant  deed  of  the  whole  day's  bat 
tle,  and  the  whole  rebel  line  was  now  in  our  posses 
sion. 

The  sun  was  low  in  the  western  sky,  but  there  was 
no  rest.  Sheridan,  like  a  madman,  dashed  here  and 
there  urging  on  his  men ;  the  cavalry  followed  the  re 
treating  foe,  capturing  prisoners  by  hundreds,  while 
the  infantry  pressed  on  after  them,  and  so  we  soon 
reached  the  desired  point.  The  Southside  railroad 
was  in  our  hands  and  enormous  quantities  of  property 
were  destroyed.  The  intelligence  fell  like  a  knell 
of  death  upon  the  ears  of  General  Lee  that  his 
last  line  of  communication  was  in  the  hands  of  his 
foes,  and  that  he  must  evacuate  Petersburgh  and 
Richmond.  Our  bugles  sounded  the  recall,  and  we 
were  to  march  back  to  the  battle-field  and  reform 
our  lines.  Slowly  we  retraced  our  steps,  joyous  over 
the  great  victory  won,  but  sorrowful  over  the  loss  of 
our  brave  men.  The  battle-field  was  reached,  and 
we  encamped  for  the  night,  but  we  could  not  think 
of  rest  or  sleep;  the  dead  were  to  be  buried;  the 
wounded  were  to  be  cared  for.  I  secured  a  short 
piece  of  candle  and  a  small  spade,  and  with  a  com 
rade  to  assist  me,  went  in  search  of  the  bodies  of 
Morrison  and  Gilmore.  It  was  a  lonely  search  in  that 


246  REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAK. 

hour  of  midnight,  dark  and  damp;  the  silence  was 
only  broken  by  the  groans  of  the  wounded  and  the 
low  conversation  of  the  soldiers  who  were  caring  for 
them.  After  a  long  search  in  the  darkness,  carrying 
the  lighted  candle  in  my  hand,  our  quest  was  re 
warded  by  finding  the  looked  for  bodies;  they  lay  as 
they  had  fallen.  Morrison  was  shot  through  the 
body,  and  had  evidently  lived  a  few  moments ;  Gil- 
more  had  received  two  balls  through  his  heart,  and 
of  course  had  died  instantly;  Hickey  had  escaped 
with  a  slight  injury.  We  dug  two  shallow  graves 
under  the  shadow  of  a  great,  oak  tree,  and  buried 
them  side  by  side.  We  placed  boards  at  their  heads, 
telling  their  names,  company  and  regiment,  and  there 
left  the  remains  of  two  men  as  brave  and  fearless  as 
any  who  ever  breathed  the  air  of  patriotism  and  lib 
erty. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE    SURRENDER. 

FROM  April  1st  to  the  ninth  of  the  same  month 
was  an  exciting  time  in  the  army  of  the  Potomac, 
especially  so  with  the  Fifth  corps,  whose  duty  it 
was  to  support  Sheridan's  cavalry.  At  two  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  of  April  2d,  we  marched  from  the 
battle-field  of  the  preceding  day  and  soon  crossed 
the  Southside  railroad.  The  boys  were  in  high 
spirits.  The  cavalry  was  in  the  advance,  and  we 
laughed,  talked,  joked  and  ran,  to  keep  up  with  the 
cavalry.  We  knew  that  we  had  gained  an  impor 
tant  advantage  over  the  rebels,  and,  with  such  lead 
ers  as  Grant  and  Sheridan,  we  knew  that  Lee  would 
be  hard  pushed.  A  staff  officer  came  dashing  back 
along  the  line,  swinging  his  hat  and  shouting,  "  Pe- 
tersburgh  and  Richmond  are  evacuated,  and  General 
Lee  is  in  full  retreat !  "  The  news  was  too  good  to 
believe.  As  old  soldiers  we  remembered  how  often 
we  had  been  told  of  great  victories  that  never  had 
been  won,  when  they  wanted  us  to  make  some  great 
exertion  at  critical  points  in  the  campaigns  through 
which  we  had  passed.  So  we  shouted  back  in  reply, 
"  That's  played  out !  "  "  Tell  it  to  the  recruits  !  " 
"  Put  him  in  a  canteen  !  "  "  Put  him  out !  "  "  Give 
him  a  hard  tack ! "  Thus  the  first  intelligence  of 
the  glorious  victory  fell  upon  sceptical  ears.  But 


248  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

Colonel  Morrill  soon  rode  back  along  our  line,  and 
told  us  that  the  news  was  true.  In  a  moment  we 
were  wild  with  excitement.  We  forgot  all  the  disap 
pointments  and  hardships  of  the  past  years,  in  that 
moment  of  extreme  satisfaction.  Our  caps  went  up 
in  the  air,  we  shook  each  other's  hands,  and  cheered 
until  we  were  hoarse ;  and  all  the  time  our  line  was 
sweeping  on  in  swift  pursuit  of  the  flying  foe. 
What  days  those  were !  They  can  never  be  forgot 
ten  by  the  survivors  of  that  army. 

The  situation  of  the  two  armies  at  that  time  is  so 
well  known  that  I  will  not  dwell  upon  it.  General 
Lee,  with  his  brave  army,  was  making  a  last  retreat, 
but  was  pursued  by  a  leader  of  remorseless  energy. 
The  rebel  chieftain  was  endeavoring  to  reach  North 
Carolina,  where  he  could  effect  a  junction  with  the 
troops  of  Johnson,  and  thus  hoped  to  prolong  the 
conflict.  Doubtless,  by  skillful  maneuvering  and 
swift  movements,  he  expected  to  escape  from  the 
dreaded  clutches  of  his  old  enemy,  but  Grant  threw 
his  army  corps  upon  the  rear  of  Lee.  with  such  force 
that  the  retreat  soon  became  a  rout.  There  was  in 
cessant  firing,  and  prisoners  were  captured  by  thou 
sands.  While  Grant  was  thus  pressing  the  rebel 
army  in  its  rear,  Phil  Sheridan,  with  his  cavalry  and 
the  Fifth  corps,  was  sweeping  along  Lee's  flank  like 
a  tornado,  thus  preventing  him  from  reaching  North 
Carolina.  I  wish  I  could  picture  Sheridan  as  we 
used  to  see  him.  I  have  carefully  examined  many 
pictures  of  Sheridan,  which  I  suppose  are  lifelike,  but 
somehow  I  have  always  been  disappointed.  Not  one 
of  them  does  justice  to  this  peerless  Union  leader. 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR.  249 

This  is  how  he  appeared  on  the  field:  A  short,  thick 
set  man,  with  very  short  legs,  his  broad  shoulders  a 
little  stooping  as  he  sat  upon  his  horse,  having  a 
very  large  head,  with  hair  clipped  close,  a  short,  thick 
mustache ;  his  uniform  being  usually  the  worse  for 
wear  and  spotted  with  mud;  wearing  a  soft  felt 
hat,  at  least  two  sizes  too  small,  and  for  safe  keep 
ing,  usually  pressed  down  upon  a  portion  of  the 
back  of  his  head.  He  rode  a  splendid  horse,  usually 
went  at  a  round  gallop,  and  rolled  and  bounced  upon 
the  back  of  his  steed  much  as  an  old  salt  does,  when 
walking  up  the  aisle  of  a  church  after  a  four  years' 
cruise  at  sea.  Some  of  his  surroundings  were  also  of 
a  singular  character.  At  his  side  usually  rode  a 
party  of  a  dozen  scouts  clad  in  the  neat  gray  uni 
form  of  rebel  officers,  and  ranking  from  captains  to 
colonels.  They  were  evidently  brave,  jolly,  reckless 
fellows,  and  theirs  was  a  most  dangerous  occupa 
tion — one  that  required  skill,  tact,  and  cool,  deliber 
ate  daring.  Entering  the  rebel  lines  and  making 
themselves  familiar  with  all  their  movements,  dash 
ing  from  one  brigade  to  another,  they  would  claim 
to  be  on  one  general's  staff,  and  then  on  that  of  an 
other,  to  suit  the  situation ;  they  would  give  orders 
that  purported  to  come  from  rebel  commanders,  to 
colonels,  quartermasters,  and  officers  in  charge  of 
wagon  trains,  and  these  being  obeyed,  would  add  to 
the  confusion  of  the  rebel  army,  and  hastened  its 
destruction. 

A  huge  rebel  wagon  train  was  toiling  through  a 
long  piece  of  woods,  and  the  drivers  were  lashing 
their  hungry  mules  to  make  them  go  as  fast  as  possi- 


250  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR. 

ble,  to  escape  from  Sheridan's  cavalry,  when  an  officer 
in  the  uniform  of  a  rebel  colonel  rode  up  to  the  quar 
termaster  who  had  charge  of  the  train,  and  said, 

"  General (naming  the  one  who  commanded  that 

division)  presents  his  compliments,  and  orders  you  to 
pack  your  train  in  that  field  yonder,"  and  then  rode 
swiftly  away.  The  order  was  obeyed,  and  soon  the 
long  train  was  packed  in  the  field  surrounded  on  all 
sides  by  the  dense  forest.  Just  as  the  last  wagon 
was  taking  its  position,  there  was  a  yell  as  if  five 
thousand  Camanche  Indians  were  on  the  war  path, 
and  Sheridan's  cavalry  came  dashing  out  from  among 
the  trees,  and  the  whole  train  was  captured  and  de 
stroyed  in  a  few  moment's  time. 

Brigadier-General was  at  the  head  of  a  rebel 

brigade,  leading  them  in  their  hasty  retreat.  He  was 
met  one  afternoon,  a  day  or  two  before  Lee  surren 
dered,  by  a  rebel  staff  officer  as  he  supposed,  who 

accosted  him  thus :  "  General commands  you  to 

take  your  men  out  into  the  open  field  yonder,  and  halt 
there  for  a  short  rest."  "In  what  direction  is  the 
field?"  questioned  the  General.  The  staff  officer 
pointed  his  hand,  and  then  remarked,  "  If  you  will 
ride  with  me  a  few  steps  I  can  show  it  to  you."  The 
General  motioned  for  his  staff  to  remain,  and  then  fol 
lowed  his  guide.  They  passed  around  a  clump  of  small 
trees  not  over  a  dozen  rods  from  his  staff  and  escort, 
when  two  other  men  in  rebel  uniforms  made  their 
appearance,  seized  the  General's  horse  by  the  reins, 
and  bore  him  a  prisoner  to  the  Union  army.  As  he 
rode  past  our  regiment,  to  say  that  he  was  a  disgusted 
looking  man  would  be  a  mild  way  of  putting  it. 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAE.  251 

Success  made  these  scouts  reckless,  and  quite  a 
number  were  captured,  and  some,  I  believe,  were 
executed  before  Lee  surrendered.  One  of  them  rode 
up  to  a  rebel  general,  and  gave  an  order  as  to  the 
disposition  of  the  General's  troops.  "Whose  staff 
are  you  on,  sir  ?"  demanded  the  General.  "  General 

's,"  answered  the  unabashed  scout.  "  That  is  too 

thin,  sir,"  replied  the  other,  "for  I  am  General , 

and  do  not  recognize  you  as  belonging  to  my  staff." 
The  poor  fellow  had  made  a  mistake.  He  was  in 
stantly  captured,  and  if  Lee  had  not  surrendered  on 
the  following  day,  his  blunder  would  have  cost  him 
his  life. 

Another  singular  feature  in  Sheridan's  procession 
was,  at  least,  twenty  captured  battle  flags,  which  were 
borne  unfurled  as  trophies  of  the  campaign.  His 
staff  officers  and  body  guard  were  all  as  rash  and 
daring  as  Sheridan  himself,  and  whenever  they  went 
dashing  past  us,  it  would  stir  the  boys  up  to  the 
wildest  enthusiasm,  while  they  would  cheer  as  if  a 
pandemonium  had  broken  loose. 

On  every  hand  we  could  see  indications  that  Lee's 
army  would  soon  melt  away.  Prisoners  were  pour 
ing  into  our  lines  by  thousands ;  baggage  wagons,  ar 
tillery,  mortars,  and  baggage  of  all  kinds,  lined  the 
roads  along  which  the  rebels  were  fleeing.  We 
never  endured  such  marching  before,  as  it  was  not  an 
unusual  thing  for  us  to  march  thirty-five  miles  a  day. 
We  grew  tired  and  prostrated,  but  we  wanted  to  be 
there  when  the  rebels  found  the  last  ditch  of  which 
they  had  talked  so  much.  Some  sections  of  the 
country  through  which  we  passed  had  seen  nothing 


252  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

of  the  war,  and,  there,  foraging  was  good.  Tobacco, 
molasses,  bacon,  cattle,  sheep,  pigs  and  poultry,  were 
occasionally  found,  and  were  quickly  appropriated 
to  our  use.  One  morning  our  regiment  was  passing 
a  house  in  which  was  discovered  a  large  cask  of  ex 
cellent  syrup.  Of  course  a  crowd  quickly  gathered  ; 
men  pushed  and  fought,  each  endeavoring  to  obtain 
a  portion  of  the  coveted  article.  In  Company  H 
was  a  little  fellow,  slim  and  pale,  not  over  sixteen 
years  old,  who  was  known  as  "  Sis."  On  this  occa 
sion  he  was  in  the  midst  of  the  crowd,  endeavoring 
to  make  his  way  to  the  syrup ;  the  stronger  men 
crowding  against  him  soon  raised  him  from  his  feet, 
and  in  the  scramble  he  found  himself  upon  their 
shoulders;  the  next  moment  he  was  thrown  head 
long  into  the  half-filled  cask  of  syrup.  He  was 
quickly  fished  out,  but  concluded  that  he  needed  no 
more  syrup  on  that  day.  Thus  the  whole  route 
from  Five  Forks  to  Appomattox  was  filled  with  in 
cidents  never  to  be  forgotten. 

On  the  eighth  of  April  we  had  a  tedious  march  of 
thirty-five  miles.  The  sun  sunk  from  view,  but  there 
were  no  indications  of  halting.  Our  regiment 
chanced  that  day  to  be  marching  in  the  rear  of  our 
whole  division — a  position  which  all  soldiers  will  re 
member  is  the  hardest  in  the  whole  line.  Just  at 
dark  we  entered  a  forest,  through  which  was  a  single 
road,  narrow  and  crooked.  This  road  was  filled 
with  artillery,  cavalry,  infantry,  baggage  wagons,  all 
pushing  for  the  front.  The  night  was  dark,  and  in 
this  blockade  our  regiment  became  separated  from  the 
» division,  and  was  left  far  in  the  rear.  At  ten  o'clock 


KEMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  253 

the  situation  had  become  much  worse,  so  that  it  was 
every  one  for  himself.  The  artillery,  each  gun  and 
caisson  being  drawn  by  six  horses,  crashed  and  thun 
dered  along  the  narrow  road,  and  by  the  right  of 
superior  strength  claimed  the  "  right  of  way."  We 
marched  on  as  best  we  could,  tired,  hungry  and  mad. 
If  the  artillery  horses  came  too  near,  we  would  ham 
mer  them  over  their  heads  with  our  guns.  This,  of 
course,  would  enrage  their  riders,  and  in  the  midst 
of  all  the  uproar  there  was  a  fierce  warfare  of  words 
and  oaths  and  threats.  We  were  descending  a  hill, 
when  a  gun  came  crashing  down  upon  us ;  it  was 
almost  a  case  of  life  or  death;  one  of  our  boys 
brought  the  heavy  stock  of  his  rifle  down  upon  the 
head  of  one  of  the  leading  horses,  and  the  animal 
staggered  and  fell.  The  sergeant  who  had  command 
of  the  gun,  rode  up  to  a  lieutenant  commanding  a 
company,  and  ordered  the  man's  arrest ;  the  officer 
chanced  to  have  a  rifle  in  his  hands,  that  he  was  car 
rying  for  one  of  his  men,  and  with  a  half-muttered 
exclamation  he  dealt  the  sergeant's  horse  such  a 
blow  that  horse  and  rider  went  down  together,  and 
we  rushed  on  our  way.  That  was  a  memorable 
night.  At  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  overtook 
the  division ;  they  had  been  resting  for  two  hours, 
and  were  just  falling  into  line  as  we  came  up.  We 
halted  for  twenty  minutes,  and  then  pushed  on. 
Many  fell  out,  and  at  daylight  there  could  not  have 
been  over  seventy-five  men  in  our  regiment.  Just 
as  the  sun  was  rising,  Sheridan  sent  back  word  that 
if  we  would  rush  on,  Lee  would  be  captured  on  that 
day.  We  forgot  the  long  night's  march,  and  pressed 


254  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE    WAE. 

on  with  great  rapidity.  Notice  was  also  given  that 
at  nine  o'clock  we  would  draw  rations.  It  is  need 
less  for  me  to  say  that,  after  that  notice  was  given,  I 
had  no  thought  of  falling  out.  It  was  a  beautiful 
spring  morning ;  the  air  was  soft  and  balmy  ;  the 
sun  shone  from  a  cloudless  sky,  and  as  he  climbed 
in  the  eastern  horizon  he  saw  the  two  great  armies 
in  close  proximity  to  each  other,  Lee  standing  at 
bay,  with  the  broken  fragments  of  a  gallant  army, 
Grant  throwing  the  blue  lines,  like  cords  of  death, 
around  him.  Nine  o'clock  came,  but  the  rations  we 
drew  were  not  rations  of  food. 

It  was  the  ninth  of  April,  1865,  and  our  long  march 
was  drawing  to  a  close.  But  a  few  men  were  in  Com 
pany  H,  at  nine  o'clock  that  morning,  and  perhaps  a 
portion  of  these,  like  the  writer,  were  there  because 
they  promised  us  rations.  Our  column  halted  in  a 
field,  and  our  guns  were  stacked  as  if  we  were  to  re 
main  for  a  time.  The  firing  in  our  front  which  we 
had  heard  at  intervals  that  morning  seemed  to  have 
died  away.  We  broke  ranks,  and  a  portion  of  the 
boys  ran  in  search  of  water,  and  others  for  wood.  I 
started  on  a  double-quick,  hoping  to  secure  a  fence 
rail  for  fuel,  so  that  we  could  make  coffee  after  our 
rations  were  issued.  A  thousand  men  were  in  the 
same  field,  and  on  the  same  business.  I  ran  with  all 
possible  speed  for  a  half  mile,  before  I  could  secure 
one,  and  that,  a  huge  oak  rail,  heavy  enough  for  four 
men  to  carry.  I  managed  to  get  the  smaller  end 
upon  my  shoulder,  dragging  the  heavier,  and  slowly 
made  my  way  to  the  regiment.  It  was  all  I  could 
stagger  under,  and  when  I  reached  the  company,  great 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE   WAR.  255 

drops  of  perspiration  were  running  down  my  cheeks. 
With  an  exclamation  of  triumph  I  threw  down  my 
load  beside  my  comrades,  but  just  at  that  moment 
the  bugle  blew  "Fall  in!"  "Fall  in!"  The  boys 
laughed  loudly  at  my  adventure,  and  advised  me  to 
take  the  rail  along  with  me.  To  say  that  I  was 
slightly  disgusted  does  not  express  the  situation. 

Heavy  firing  was  heard  in  our  front,  not  over  half 
a  mile  distant.  Orders  were  given  to  double-quick. 
We  dashed  through  a  thick  belt  of  woods,  and  met 
cavalrymen  riding  back,  badly  broken  up  and  demor 
alized.  They  told  us  they  had  been  fighting  all  night, 
and  holding  the  rebels  in  check  until  we  should  ar 
rive,  and  this  explained  why  we  had  marched  all 
night.  We  passed  through  the  woods,  and  came  out 
into  a  field  some  forty  rods  in  width.  For  a  fourth 
of  a  mile  in  our  front  there  was  flat  and  level  ground, 
and  then  a  ridge  of  land,  on  whose  crest  there  was  a 
house,  barn,  and  numerous  outbuildings.  The  field 
on  either  side,  up  to  this  hill,  was  bordered  with  a 
forest,  while  beyond,  there  was — we  knew  not  what. 
In  that  field  we  halted.  A  group  of  Union  generals 
were  sitting  upon  their  horses  near  us — Sheridan, 
Griffin,  Chamberlain,  and  others.  Sheridan  was  evi 
dently  much  excited,  and  was  talking  rapidly,  and 
adding  emphasis  to  his  words,  by  bringing  his  clenched 
right  hand  down  on  the  open  palm  of  his  left.  It 
was  evident  to  all  that-  some  enterprise  of  importance 
was  on  foot.  At  that  time  we  had  but  one  man  in 
Company  H,  who  had  any  claims  to  piety, — a  grand 
fellow,  quiet  and  beloved  by  all.  He  had  marched 
all  night,  bound  to  keep  up,  but  was  so  weak  and 


256  KEMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

footsore  that  he  could  hardly  step.  When  the  com 
pany  halted,  and  he  saw  Sheridan,  he  sank  upon  the 
ground  with  a  comical  groan  of  despair,  and  re 
marked,  "  The  devil  is  to  pay,  sure  !"  And  over  be 
yond  the  hill,  at  about  the  same  time,  I  think  General 
Lee  was  cherishing  the  same  opinion.  Our  brigade 
was  quickly  formed  in  two  lines  of  battle  to  make  a 
charge.  Our  regiment  was  in  the  front  line,  and 
General  Sheridan  formed  a  cavalry  skirmish  line  in 
our  front.  The  enemy's  lines  of  battle  were  evi 
dently  over  beyond  the  hill  in  our  front,  as  some  of 
their  batteries  opened  upon  us,  and  threw  shot  and 
shell  very  carelessly  around.  The  skirmishers  ad 
vanced  at  a  round  gallop,  Sheridan  leading  them  on. 
When  they  reached  the  crest  of  the  hill,  and  entered 
the  forest  on  our  right,  we  advanced  rapidly  across 
the  plain  and  climbed  the  hill.  Just  before  we 
reached  its  top,  a  shell  exploded  in  the  barn,  and  in  a 
moment  it  was  in  flames.  In  the  confusion  hens  and 
chickens  ran  from  the  barn  in  every  direction.  By 
this  time  the  enemy  was  pouring  a  very  heavy  artil 
lery  fire  upon  us,  but  it  always  requires  something 
more  than  shot  or  shells  to  prevent  hungry  soldiers 
from  chasing  chickens,  and  so  after  the  fowls  we  ran. 
Shells  were  crashing,  officers  were  shouting  for  the 
men  to  keep  in  the  ranks,  the  boys  were  screaming  and 
laughing  as  they  ran  after  the  chickens,  the  flames 
roared  and  swept  through  the  air,  and  the  hens 
squalled  in  their  most  pathetic  manner,  as  they  were 
overtaken  and  captured.  Altogether  it  was  a  most 
remarkable  medley.  When  the  poultry  excitement 
subsided,  and  we  all  got  back  into  the  rapidly  ad  vane- 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAK.  257 

ing  line,   and  looked   out   in   our  front,    our   mirth 
quickly  subsided. 

It  was  a  desperate  situation — one  in  which  the 
most  careless  and  indifferent  would  be  brought  to  his 
senses.  For  three-fourths  of  a  mile,  an  open  field  lay 
before  us.  A  few  rods  of  this  distance  was  descend 
ing  ground,  then  a  level  plain,  and  beyond  that  a 
ridge  of  land.  At  the  foot  of  that  ridge  was  the  en 
emy's  skirmish  line.  We  could  distinctly  see  the 
little  rifle-pits  in  which  they  were  intrenched.  Be 
yond  their  skirmish  line,  and  higher  on  the  side  of  the 
hill,  was  their  line  of  battle,  behind  breastworks,  and 
back  of  this  was  their  artillery,  all  in  plain  view. 
Their  infantry  had  not  opened  fire  upon  us,  but  their 
artillery  was  firing  rapidly  and  with  good  execution. 
We  saw  all  this  plainly,  although  advancing  at  a 
rapid  rate.  We  well  understood  what  our  mission 
was — to  assault  their  position  and  silence  their  bat 
teries.  We  thought  of  our  comrades  who  had  fallen 
out  in  the  night,  and  who  were  then  quietly  sleeping 
back  in  the  woods,  and  were  angry  with  ourselves  to 
think  that  for  the  hope  of  drawing  rations  we  had 
been  foolish  enough  to  keep  up,  and  by  doing  so,  get 
in  such  a  scrape.  But  it  was  then  too  late  to  fall  out, 
and  all  we  could  do  was  to  pull  our  hats  down  over 
our  eyes  as  far  as  possible,  keep  up  with  the  line,  and 
endeavor  to  appear  brave.  We  did  not  fear  the  ar 
tillery  very  much,  for  they  fired  over  our  heads,  but 
dreaded  the  moment  when  the  infantry  should  open 
on  us.  We  descended  the  hill  and  advanced  across 
the  plain,  and  were  not  far  from  their  skirmish  line. 
Not  many  words  were  spoken,  but  every  mind  was 


258  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR. 

busy.  Like  a  flash  we  thought  of  all  the  past  three 
years,  so  many  dangers  passed  through,  and  here, 
after  all  these  hardships  and  narrow  escapes,  just  as 
the  war  was  about  to  close,  our  regiment  reduced  to  a 
hundred  men,  was  hurled  into  this  desperate  posi 
tion,  where  nearly  all  must  be  slaughtered.  It  did 
seem  hard,  but  not  a  man  in  that  little  band  flinched, 
and  as  coolly  as  we  had  ever  marched  upon  the  pa 
rade  ground,  we  marched  up  to  what  we  supposed 
was  the  gates  of  death.  We  saw  a  white  object  flut 
ter  in  an  orchard  up  in  the  rear  of  their  line  of  battle. 
A  signal  for  their  infantry  to  open  fire,  growled  the 
boys,  as  they  saw  it.  Then  we  expected  to  see  their 
line  of  battle  mantled  in  fire  and  smoke  as  they 
poured  volleys  of  death  upon  us ;  but  a  moment 
passed,  and  not  a  gun  had  been  fired.  We  looked 
again ;  we  saw  the  object  we  had  supposed  to  be  a 
signal  flag,  but  it  had  changed  its  position.  It  was 
advancing  almost  down  to  their  line  of  battle.  It 
continued  to  advance,  and  passed  their  battle  line. 
Three  men  accompanied  it.  What  could  it  mean  ? 
It  was  a  white  flag.  We  could  not  believe  our  eyes. 
At  a  brisk  gallop  the  officers  rode  to  within  twenty 
rods  of  our  line,  then  turned  down  to  our  right 
where  Sheridan  had  disappeared;  and  on  we  ad 
vanced.  A  staff  officer  came  out  from  the  woods ; 
his  spurs  were  pressed  hard  against  the  smoking 
flanks  of  his  noble  horse.  He  was  swinging  his  hat 
like  a  madman,  and  yelling  — "  Lee  has  surrendered ! 
Lee  has  surrendered!"  " Halt,  halt,  halt !"  came 
the  order,  and  the  last  charge  was  over.  But  such 
a  scene !  I  cannot  describe  it.  Seventeen  years 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  "WAR.  259 

have  passed,  but  the  blood  tingles  in  my  finger  tips 
now,  as  I  think  of  it.  There  was  such  a  change  in 
the  situation,  such  a  transition  in  our  experience  ! 
Men  laughed  and  shouted,  shook  hands  and  actually 
wept  for  joy.  Could  it  be  possible  ?  It  seemed 
more  like  a  dream.  Had  Lee  actually  surrendered, 
and  was  the  war  about  to  close  ? 

The  joy  of  that  hour  will  never  be  forgotten. 
We  forgot  the  long,  weary  marches,  the  hours  of 
suffering,  the  countless  exposures,  and  many  sacri 
fices,  and  for  the  time,  even  forgot  our  disappoint 
ment  in  not  drawing  rations  at  nine  o'clock  that 
morning.  Many  of  the  boys  were-  even  then  skepti 
cal  as  to  the  actual  surrender  of  Lee,  and  contended 
that  he  only  sent  in  the  flag  of  truce  to  gain  time, 
and  thus  steal  a  march  upon  us ;  but  in  the  after 
noon  all  doubts  were  removed.  The  advanced  lines 
of  the  enemy  had  been  withdrawn  soon  after  the 
white  flag  came  within  our  lines,  and  now  large 
numbers  of  the  rebel  soldiers  came  over  to  us.  We 
were  glad  to  see  them.  They  had  fought  bravely, 
and  were  as  glad  as  we  that  the  war  was  over. 
They  told  us  of  the  fearful  condition  General  Lee's 
army  was  in,  and  we  only  wondered  that  they  en 
dured  the  hardships  so  long  as  they  did.  We  received 
them  kindly,  and  exchanged  pocket  knives  and  sun 
dry  trinkets,  that  each  could  have  something  to 
carry  home  as  a  reminiscence  of  the  great  event. 
To  our  division  was  assigned  the  honor  of  staying  to 
receive  the  remainder  of  the  arms,  while  the  rest  of 
the  army  moved  back  toward  Richmond.  We  had 
three  days'  rations  of  food  in  our  baggage  wagons, 


260  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR. 

and  this  was  divided  with  our  prisoners  ;  and  thus  for 
the  day  or  two  intervening  between  the  surrender 
and  the  final  stacking  of  their  arms,  we  camped  on 
the  same  hillside,  ate  the  same  hard-tack,  and  almost 
drank  from  the  same  canteen.  The  rebels  were 
all  loud  in  their  praise  of  General  Grant,  for  the 
generous  terms  of  the  surrender,  and  pledged  them 
selves  to  go  home,  and  live  and  die  under  the 
shadow  of  the  old  flag.  They  had  fought  for  four 
years,  been  completely  whipped,  were  sadly  disap 
pointed,  but,  like  men,  were  determined  to  go  home 
and  work  to  regain  the  fortunes  they  had  lost. 

For  two  days  after  the  flag  of  truce  came  in,  and 
hostilities  ceased,  we  were  making  preparations  for 
the  formal  surrender.  We  were  very  thankful  that 
it  was  our  privilege,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  to  wit 
ness  this  most  important  event,  while  all  the  army, 
save  our  division,  marched  back  in  the  direction  of 
Richmond. 

The  twelfth  day  of  April,  1865,  was  a  memorable 
one  to  the  First  division  of  the  old  Fifth  army  corps, 
for  upon  that  day  the  army  of  General  Lee  stacked  its 
arms,  and  the  above  named  division  was  the  one  des 
ignated  by  General  Grant  to  receive  the  surrender. 
The  morning  dawned  clear  and  warm.  At  an  early 
hour  the  regiments  were  prepared  to  fall  into  line. 
Major-General  J.  L.  Chamberlain  was  in  command  of 
the  brigade.  Before  nine  o'clock  the  troops  were  in 
line,  our  brigade,  consisting  of  nine  old  regiments,  be 
ing  in  the  advance.  Anxiously  we  waited  for  the  ap 
pearance  of  the  rebel  army.  Soon  we  saw  a  gray 
column  of  troops  advancing  through  the  valley  at  our 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR.  261 

right.  A  thrill  of  excitement  ran  along  the  line,  and 
exclamations  like  the  following :  "  There  they  are," 
"  The  Johnnies  are  coming,"  "The  Confederacy  has 
found  its  last  ditch,"  were  whispered  among  the  men. 
Before  their  advanced  line  reached  our  column,  every 
man  was  in  his  proper  position,  and  we  stood  like  a 
blue  wall  at  a  "shoulder  arms,"  as  they  marched  in 
our  front.  There  was  a  space  of  some  four  rods  be 
tween  us.  When  their  column  had  advanced  the 
length  of  our  line,  they  halted,  "  front  faced,"  and 
there  we  stood— two  hostile  armies  in  well-formed 
lines,  with  only  that  narrow  space  between  us.  Our 
commander,  with  the  true  courtesy  of  a  chivalrous 
spirit,  gave  the  command  "  Shoulder  arms,"  and  we 
thus  saluted  our  fallen  enemies.  They  returned  the 
salute,  then  "Ordered  arms,"  .."Fixed  bayonets," 
"  Stacked  arms,"  placed  their  colors  and  equipments, 
upon  the  stacks  thus  made,  moved  by  the  "right 
flank,"  and  inarched  sadly  away.  And  thus  they 
came  and  went,  until  all  that  remained  of  the 
grand  old  army  of  northern  Virginia  had  stacked 
their  arms.  We  had  a  most  excellent  opportunity  to 
review  these  Southern  troops,  and  notice  their  pecu 
liar  traits.  As  a  rule  they  were  tall,  thin,  spare  men, 
with  long  hair  and  beard  of  a  tawny  red  color. 
They  were  all  clad  in  the  uniform  of  Southern  gray ; 
nearly  all  were  very  ragged  and  dirty,  while  their 
broad-brimmed,  slouching  gray  hats  gave  them  any 
thing  but  a  soldierly  appearance.  A  little  fellow  on 
my  left,  seeing  how  thin  and  lean  they  were,  muttered, 
"  No  wonder  we  didn't  kill  more  of  them  ;  either  one 
of  them  would  split  a  minie-ball  if  it  should  strike 


262  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR. 

him."  Some  of  the  brigades  seemed  to  be  well-disci 
plined,  and  marched  in  a  very  commendable  manner. 
General  Longstreet's  corps  seemed  to  be  in  the  best 
state  of  discipline  of  any  in  the  army,  while  many 
of  the  regiments  and  brigades  marched  in  as  irreg 
ular  a  manner  as  if  they  had  never  been  drilled  for  a 
single  hour.  Their  arms  were  of  all  designs  and  pat 
terns  ;  many  of  them  were  of  English  make,  and  had 
been  doubtless  smuggled  through  the  blockade  by 
the  English  blockade  runners.  Their  colors  were  all 
stained  by  storm,  and  many  of  them  were  torn  to 
shreds ;  some  were  elegantly  mounted  upon  richly  or 
namented  staffs,  wrhile  others  were  fastened  to  rough 
poles.  It  was  quite  an  affecting  scene  to  see  some 
of  the  various  color  guards,  as  they  were  about  to 
leave  the  old  flags  they  had  carried  so  long  and  de 
fended  so  bravely,  turn  and  tear  small  pieces  from 
the  old  banner,  and  hastily  put  them  in  their  pockets 
as  if  fearing  our  officers  would  forbid  their  doing  it, 
if  they  saw  them.  Many  a  brave  Southern  soldier 
turned  that  day  with  tearful  eyes  from  the  old  colors 
they  had  loved  so  well,  and  for  which  they  had  sac 
rificed  so  much.  No  conversation  was  allowed  be 
tween  the  two  armies  as  the  surrender  was  being 
made,  but  occasionally  a  pleasant  word  would  be  ex 
changed.  One  division  that  wTe  had  encountered  an 
several  different  fields  of  battle,  halted  in  our  front, 
and  as  they  were  stacking  their  arms  they  learned 
to  what  division  we  belonged,  while  one  of  them  cried 
in  a  jocose  manner  :  "  Well,  old  fellows,  we  have  met 
you  again."  And  thus  the  day  passed  until  they 
had  all  surrendered. 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  263 

We  had  received  them  with  every  courtesy  that 
could  possibly  be  extended  by  a  victorious  army,  and 
with  a  single  exception  not  an  uncivil  word  had  been 
spoken  to  any  officer  or  private  in  the  whole  army — 
not  a  single  word  or  act  that  could  add  to  the  humil 
iation  of  their  position.  That  single  exception  was 
this :  A  brigadier-general  came  riding  in  at  the  head 
of  his  brigade,  and  attracted  the  attention  of  all.  He 
was  a  small,  thin  man,  with  a  red  face,  and  shrill, 
sharp  voice.  The  point  of  attraction  was,  that  his 
uniform  was  all  of  the  Confederate  color,  with  the  ex 
ception  of  his  coat,  which  was  the  Union  blue,  such 
as  was  worn  by  our  own  officers.  He  rode  a  large, 
powerful  horse,  and  looked  like  a  grim,  soured,  pas 
sionate  man.  We  quickly  detected  the  fact  that  he 
was  not  admired  by  his  men.  They  halted  in  our 
front,  and  the  officer  gave  the  necessary  orders  to 
have  placed  them  in  the  proper  position  to  receive 
our  salute,  but  their  lines  not  being  "dressed  up" 
as  promptly  as  he  desired,  with  much  profanity  he 
abused  the  men  for  being  so  tardy  in  their  movements. 
I  imagine  they  had  borne  much  of  this  from  him 
before,  but  now  remembering  that  the  war  was 
over,  and  that  the  power  of  his  authority  was  broken, 
the  fire  flashed  from  their  eyes  in  response,  as  several 
of.  them  in  a  most  taunting  manner  replied  to  him, 
"  O  yes,  you  are  brave  enough  now,  but  you  was 
never  so  near  the  Yanks  before  in  your  life,"  while 
with  this  greeting,  to  which  he  could  not  well  reply,  he 
rode  to  the  right  of  his  command.  "  Who  is  he  ? 
Who  is  he?"  a  hundred  of  the  curious  Yankees  hast 
ily  asked.  "  General  Henry  A.  Wise,"  they  answered. 


264  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAB. 

For  a  moment  we  could  hardly  comprehend  the  truth. 
We  thought  of  brave  old  John  Brown  and  Harper's 
Ferry,  of  the  imperious  Governor  of  the  Old  Do 
minion,  that  had  ordered  his  execution,  and  here  was 
the  same  old  general  surrendering  his  command  to  a 
Yankee  army.  The  mills  of  God  may  grind  slowly, 
but  always  the  work  is  done  effectually.  Our  men 
could  not  let  the  opportunity  pass  without  firing 
a  few  shots  at  the  hotheaded  old  Virginian,  and 
he  was  greeted  with  such  exclamations  as  the  fol 
lowing,  which  must  have  grated  somewhat  harshly 
upon  his  ears :  "  Who  hanged  John  Brown  ?'' 
"  Where  did  you  steal  your  coat  ?"  "  Hang  him  on  a 
sour  apple  tree !"  "  Shoot  him,  shoot  him,  shoot 
him  !"  and  if  there  was  a  disgusted  looking  man  that 
rode  from  the  surrender  at  Appomattox  that  day,  it 
is  safe  to  say  that  it  was  ex-Governor  Wise. 

When  they  stacked  their  arms,  they  marched  to 
our  headquarters,  where  they  signed  their  parole  of 
honor,  and  then  rapidly  departed  to  their  homes,  so 
that  on  the  day  following  there  was  scarcely  a  rebel 
soldier  to  be  found  upon  that  historic  field  where 
General  Lee  had  surrendered. 

Much  work  remained  for  us  to  do  after  the  rebels 
-had  left,  in  gathering  up  the  stores  and  munitions  of 
war.  In  the  woods  where  the  rebel  army  had  en 
camped,  rifles  were  scattered  upon  the  ground  in 
every  direction.  We  found  where  whole  battalions 
had  stacked  their  arms  and  scattered  for  their  homes, 
without  taking  any  part  in  the  surrender,  or  even 
signing  their  paroles.  There  is  but  little  doubt  that 
many  thousands  went  in  this  manner,  which,  if  added 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  265 

to  those  who  marched  in  and  stacked  their  arms, 
would  have  swelled  Lee's  army,  in  the  aggregate, 
to  more  than  fifty  thousand  men  who  actually  sur 
rendered  on  the  ninth  of  April.  It  was  a  wearisome 
and  thankless  task  for  us  to  gather  up  those  guns, 
and  carry  them  a  long  distance  to  a  place  where  they 
could  be  transported  to  Washington,  for  we  were  tired 
and  footsore,  and  had  divided  our  rations  with  the 
rebels.  The  railroad  bridges  had  been  destroyed,  so 
that  trains  could  not  run,  while  the  condition  of  the 
roads  made  it  almost  impossible  for  wagojn  trains  to 
reach  us.  Our  rations  had  been  exhausted,  and  we 
were  almost  famishing  with  hunger.  Foraging  expe 
ditions  were  made,  but  the  results  were  scanty.  A 
little  beef  was  secured,  but  it  was  poor  and  tough, 
and  also  so  tainted  with  garlic  that  it  was  almost  im 
possible  to  eat  it ;  but  this  supply  was  soon  exhausted. 
Some  were  fortunate  enough  to  find  where  corn  had 
been  fed  to  the  horses  and  mules,  and  which  had 
been  trodden  into  the  ground  by  their  feet.  These 
kernels  were  gathered  up,  washed,  and  then  parched, 
and  eaten  with  greedy  appetites. 

Many  relics  were  carried  from  the  field.  Among 
these  relics  was  the  historic  "  apple  tree,"  which  was 
all  appropriated.  The  first  time  that  I  saw  this  tree, 
the  men  had  just  cut  it  down.  It  was  some  twelve 
inches  in  diameter,  had  a  straight,  smooth  trunk,  and 
a  large,  wide-spreading  top.  The  second  time  that  I 
passed  that  way,  the  trunk  had  all  disappeared,  and  a 
number  of  the  boys  were  at  work  upon  the  branches. 
The  third  time,  trunk,  branches,  and  even  the  roots 
had  all  disappeared.  Carbines,  sabers,  and  pieces  of 
12 


266  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAB. 

rebel  flags  were  also  carried  away,  and  many  of  them, 
I  presume,  are  still  preserved  in  the  soldier's  family 
as  sacred  reminders  of  that  bloody  war. 

All  of  our  associations  with  the  rebels  at  Appo- 
mattox  were  of  the  most  pleasant  character.  Great 
care  was  taken  by  our  soldiers  not  to  wound  their 
feelings,  and  they  exhibited  their  gratitude  by  many 
pleasant  words.  Generals  Lee,  Longstreet,  and 
Gordon  were  all  favorites  in  the  rebel  army,  but 
Jefferson  Davis  was  most  bitterly  denounced,  and 
many  of  their  disasters  were  attributed  to  him.  Those 
Southern  men  were  brave,  patient,  brilliant  soldiers, 
and  we  hope  that,  if  they  or  their  descendants  are 
again  called  to  stand  in  the  ranks  of  war,  they  will 
be  marshaled  under  the  Stars  and  Stripes.  If 
they  display  the  same  bravery  in  its  defense  that 
they  showed  under  the  "Stars  and  Bars,"  our  coun 
try  will  be  proud  of  its  defenders.  They  had  lost 
all  by  the  war,  but  they  accepted  the  situation  grace 
fully,  and  have  won  success  and  prosperity  by  in 
dustry  and  toil.  To  all  such,  the  survivors  of  the 
old  army  of  the  Potomac  wish  a  hearty  godspeed. 

The  day  before  we  departed  from  Appomattox,  the 
rain  poured  down  in  torrents ;  many  of  us  had  no 
tents ;  we  had  no  rations ;  it  was  cold,  wet  and 
muddy.  The  picket  line  of  our  camp  was  main 
tained,  and  I  was  detailed  for  picket — my  last  detail 
for  that  purpose.  It  was  a  cheerless  night,  dark  and 
drear,  the  rain  falling  in  blinding  sheets.  The  long 
hours  wore  gradually  away,  and  at  ten  o'clock  the 
next  forenoon  we  were  relieved,  and  returned  to 
camp,  to  find  that  we  were  under  marching  orders 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  267 

to  move  at  one  o'clock.  I  was  famishing  for  food ; 
my  tent-mates  Mac  and  Dick  had  captured  about  a 
pint  of  corn  meal,  and  told  me  that  if  I  would  cook 
it  they  would  divide.  It  was  a  godsend  to  me.  I 
found  an  old  fruit  can,  put  in  about  a  quart  of 
muddy  water,  poured  in  the  precious  meal,  and  went 
forth  to  cook  our  dinner.  A  small  fire  of  green  pine 
limbs  was  smoking  and  sputtering  in  the  rain,  a  short 
distance  from  our  camp,  and  I  quickly  placed  the 
can  upon  the  fire,  but  I  could  not  get  heat  enough 
to  make  it  boil.  I  stirred  and  stirred  the  meal  and 
water,  and  would  occasionally  taste  of  it  to  see. 
how  it  was  progressing.  The  meal  was  sour  and 
bitter,  but  it  tasted  good.  The  temptation  to  eat 
was  too  strong  to  resist ;  I  continued  to  eat  until 
the  last  particle  of  the  meal  was  consumed.  I  then 
took  the  can,  which  was  supposed  to  contain  pud 
ding,  to  my  comrades,  who  were  under  a  shelter- 
tent,  chuckling  to  themselves  how  fortunate  they 
were  in  having  their  dinner  cooked  for  them.  The 
dish  was  placed  upon  the  ground.  We  formed  a 
circle  around  it,  and  made  an  assault  upon  the  con 
tents  with  a  knife,  spoon  and  stick,  but  to  our  sur 
prise  there  was  nothing  but  water.  Dick  looked  up 
to  me  with  a  puzzled  expression  upon  his  face,  and 

said,  "  Gerrish,  where  in is  that  meal?"    and  I 

could  only  innocently  answer,  "It  must  have  dis 
solved  in  the  water."  Our  wet  blankets  were  folded; 
our  lines  were  formed  ;  the  order  was  given  to  move, 
forward.  We  turned  our  backs  toward  Appomat- 
tox,  and  bade  farewell  to  our  last  battle-field. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

APPOMATTOX  TO   RICHMOND. 

SATURDAY,  April  15th,  at  one  o'clock  in  the  after 
noon,  we  began  our  march  from  Appomattox  to 
Richmond.  We  have  all  heard  much  of  the  "  Con 
quering  armies,"  "  Flying  banners,"  and  of  their  ma 
jestic  appearance,  but  it  was  not  so  with  our  division 
on  that  day  when  we  turned  from  the  field  upon 
which  General  Lee  had  surrendered.  We  had  even 
marched  from  fields  of  defeat  with  more  of  a  military 
display  than  we  there  made.  It  was  raining  very 
hard;  the  mud  was  ankle  deep  in  the  roads;  our  uni 
forms  were  ragged  and  covered  with  mud ;  the  men 
were  hungry  and  consequently  savage.  There  was 
no  attempt  made  to  keep  in  the  ranks,  but  at  a  rapid 
pace  we  straggled  along  the  muddy  turnpike,  each 
man  picking  his  own  way  through  the  mud  as  best 
he  could.  "  We  were  to  draw  rations  "  that  night, 
the  officers  said,  and  with  that  thought  to  inspire  us, 
we  pushed  bravely  on.  Darkness  came  that  after- 
noon  at  an  early  hour,  but  no  halt  was  ordered  until 
at  least  an  hour  after  dark.  We  then  received  the 
cheering  intelligence  that  "  some  one  had  blundered," 
and  that  we  had  marched  the  last  two  miles  in  the 
wrong  direction.  With  many  expressions  of  anger 
we  retraced  our  weary  steps,  until  we  regained  the 
turnpike  from  which  by  mistake  we  had  departed. 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR.  269 

Here  we  received  the  somewhat  sarcastic  order  to 
break  ranks,  and  make  ourselves  comfortable  for  the 
night.  You  can  imagine  the  situation ;  we  were  on 
a  low,  boggy  piece  of  ground  that  was  covered  by  a 
stunted  growth  of  scattering  pine  trees.  The  ground 
was  so  thoroughly  soaked  with  water  that  it  came 
up  through  the  surface,  and  stood  around  our  feet  as 
we  walked  upon  it.  We  had  no  means  with  which 
to  build  fires,  and  we  could  only  spread  our  blankets 
upon  the  flooded  marsh,  and  endeavor  to  sleep.  My 
tent-mate  at  that  time  was  a  gallant  son  of  the  Emer 
ald  Isle,  fresh  from  the  home  of  his  ancestors.  His 
name  was  Matthew  McElroy,  and  he  was  a  brave,  gen 
erous-hearted,  full-blooded  Irishman.  He  would  al 
ways  persist  in  doing  the  most  ludicrous  things  in  the 
most  laughable  manner,  and  on  this  evening,  when 
we  halted  in  the  forest,  wet  and  cold,  he  with  much 
zeal  declared  that  we  must  pitch  a  tent  so  that  we 
could  keep  warm  and  dry.  In  vain  I  expostulated 
with  him.  After  I  had  exhausted  my  arguments, 
I  rolled  myself  in  my  blanket  and  lay  down  across 
the  roots  of  a  tree,  and  tried  to  sleep.  How  the  rain 
poured  down !  The  water  came  from  the  branches 
of  the  pine  tree  in  blinding  sheets  where  I  was  lying, 
but  I  slept,  and  obtained  a  good  night's  rest.  I  have 
an  indistinct  recollection  of  Mac,  as  he  stormed 
around  nearly  all  that  night  in  the  mud  and  rain, 
ejaculating,  in  true  Irish  brogue,  that  "  A  Yankee 
would  sleep  if  the  divil  sat  at  his  head !  "  The  next 
morning  was  as  cold  and  raw  as  a  November  day, 
the  clouds  were  thick  and  black,  the  plunging  rain 
was  so  cold  that  it  seemed  to  have  glanced  from  an 


270  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

iceberg,  on  its  way  to  the  earth.  The  depth  of  the 
mud  had  increased  at  least  several  inches  during  the 
night,  and  the  roads  looked  like  well-filled  mortar 
beds.  Of  course  there  were  no  rations  to  eat,  and 
we  were  faint  with  hunger.  I  obtained  a  small  piece 
of  beef  weighing  perhaps  one-half  a  pound,  that  had 
been  taken  from  the  neck  of  a  creature  several  days 
before,  bloody,  tough  and  so  tainted  with  garlic 
that  it  was  uneatable.  It  had  been  carried  in  a  dirty 
haversack,  which  to  say  the  least,  had  not  added  to 
its  excellence,  but  I  was  grateful  to  receive  it.  A 
small  fire  was  gasping  for  life  by  the  roadside,  upon 
the  coals  of  which  the  meat  was  roasted,  being  sea 
soned  with  ashes  and  the  falling  rain.  When  it  was 
cooked,  I  sat  upon  an  old  log,  and  ate  my  morning 
meal  with  a  ravenous  appetite,  and  was  soon  again 
upon  the  inarch.  The  roads  were  nearly  impassable, 
but  with  heroic  fortitude  we  pressed  on  our  way. 

At  noon  we  crossed  the  Appomattox  river  upon  a 
temporary  bridge,  and  soon  reached  the  little  village 
of  Farmville.  The  rain  had  ceased  to  fall,  the  clouds 
had  cleared  away,  and  the  warm  sunshine  was  pour 
ing  down  upon  us.  We  marched  to  the  top  of  a 
little  hill  which  overlooked  the  village.  The  scene 
spread  out  before  us  was  a  most  beautiful  one,  while 
to  our  great  joy  we  saw  our  wagon  train,  and  so  knew 
that  we  were  soon  to  have  rations.  That  was  a  very 
pleasant  afternoon,  for  we  received  our  rations,  and 
also  letters  from  home.  We  lay  upon  the  green 
grass,  and  for  the  first  time  seemed  to  comprehend 
the  fact  that  the  war  was  over.  There  had  been  so 
much  confusion  and  excitement  thus  far,  that  we 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  271 

had  hardly  realized  this  before.  We  also  walked 
through  the  pretty  village,  which,  for  neatness  and 
enterprise,  resembled  a  New  England  town.  The 
people  were  all  very  quiet,  but  met  us  kindly,  and 
were  undoubtedly  glad  that  the  war  had  ended. 
We  visited  the  little  cemetery  on  the  hillside,  and 
found  that  many  Confederate  soldiers  had  been  buried 
there,  a  number  of  them  within  a  few  days,  the  vic 
tims  of  a  skirmish  that  had  taken  place  near  that 
village. 

On  our  return  to  our  regiment  we  found  that  a 
great  cloud  of  sorrow  had  settled  down  upon  the  en 
campment  in  our  absence.  A  dispatch  had  been  re 
ceived  by  our  officers,  bringing  the  intelligence  of  the 
assassination  of  President  Lincoln.  At  first  we  did 
not  believe  the  report,  but  when  we  were  compelled 
to  do  so,  we  supposed  that  he  had  been  shot  by  some 
of  the  rebels  made  desperate  by  their  recent  defeats. 
I  never  saw  men  so  deeply  moved  as  were  those  sol 
diers.  It  was  a  fortunate  affair  for  both  sides  that 
the  rebel  army  had  been  paroled  before  that  deed  of 
assassination  took  place,  for  with  the  intense  feeling 
that  existed  when  that  intelligence  reached  us,  there 
would  have  been  a  conflict  of  the  most  deadly  char 
acter.  But  soon  we  learned  who  the  assassin  was,  and 
were  grateful  to  know  that  it  was  none  of  those  who 
had  received  such  generous  treatment  from  our  hands 
at  the  surrender  of  Lee. 

It  is  impossible  for  me  to  describe  the  feeling  that 
existed.  We  had  all  loved  Abraham  Lincoln  so 
much,  and  in  all  those  years  had  never  doubted  his 
integrity  for  a  moment,  even  when  we  were  obliged  to 


272  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAR. 

confess  that  we  had  been  mistaken  in  many  men 
whom  we  had  learned  to  love.  No  cloud  had  ever 
for  a  moment  obscured  the  beloved  form  of  the  noble 
Lincoln.  "  Too  bad,  too  bad,  that  spoils  it  all ;  I 
wish  Lee  had  not  surrendered";  "I  would  like  to 
fight  it  longer  ";  "  I  do  not  want  to  go  home  now," 
and  a  hundred  similar  expressions,  could  be  heard  as 
with  sorrowful  countenances  the  men  sat  and  dis 
cussed  the  situation.  Nowhere  in  the  Union  was 
there  more  genuine  sorrow  for  the  martyred  Presi 
dent  than  in  the  army.  It  was  a  sad  Sabbath  even 
ing  for  us  alL 

On  Monday  morning  we  broke  camp  and  marched 
to  Burksville,  and  then  proceeded  in  the  direction  of 
North  Carolina,  along  the  line  of  the  Danville  rail 
road.  On  the  following  morning  we  learned  that  some 
one  had  made  a  mistake,  and  that  we  were  to  return 
to  Burksville,  and,  so,  near  that  place  we  encamped 
for  the  night,  and  remained  there  all  the  following  day. 
From  this  point  we  proceeded  in  a  leisurely  manner  in 
the  direction  of  Petersburg!!,  and  on  Sunday,  April 
23d,  we  went  into  camp  at  Sutherland  station,  a  few 
miles  from  the  city  of  Petersburgh. 

An  amusing  incident  occurred  here.  Our  line 
halted  in  its  march,  but  we  supposed  that  it  was  only 
for  the  purpose  of  resting  a  few  moments,  our  regi 
ment  being  near  a  regiment  of  colored  cavalry,  which 
hailed  from  Massachusetts,  and  had  reached  the  field 
just  as  the  war  closed.  The  commissioned  officers  of 
this  regiment  were  white,  the  others  were  all  black. 
Several  of  our  boys  went  up  to  the  tent  of  their  regi 
mental  sutler,  and  found  that  he  had  a  very  large 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  273 

stock  of  such  goods  as  army  sutlers  usually  sell.  The 
colored  soldiers  had  not  seen  much  service,  but 
put  on  many  airs,  being,  evidently,  quite  proud  of 
their  new  uniforms.  Our  boys  were  ragged,  rough, 
and  ready  for  any  kind  of  a  skirmish  that  might 
arise.  They  stood  up  very  near  to  the  sutler's  goods, 
and  the  colored  soldiers,  who  were  guarding  the  tent, 
ordered  them  to  fall  back,  but  they  did  not  feel  dis 
posed  to  obey  the  peremptory  order,  and  remained  as 
they  were.  The  corporal  of  the  guard,  a  huge,  black 
fellow,  evidently  wishing  to  magnify  his  office,  came 
up  and  undertook  to  arrest  our  men  for  disobeying 
orders.  The  result  was  that  one  of  our  boys  struck  out 
from  the  shoulder  and  landed  the  poor  corporal  upon 
his  head  in  the  ditch.  In  a  moment  all  was  excite 
ment  and  confusion.  The  officers  of  the  colored 
regiment  evidently  knew  but  little  more  than  their 
men,  and  rushed  down  with  drawn  swords  to  arrest 
the  offenders,  but,  by  the  time  they  arrived  on  the 
battle  ground,  there  were  at  least  fifty  of  our  regiment 
in  the  melee.  I  cannot  write  without  laughing,  as 
I  think  of  the  charge  those  officers  made  upon  that 
crowd;  their  swords  went  flying  through  the  air, 
their  new  hats,  with  bands  and  tassels  of  golden  cords, 
were  kicked  like  foot-balls  among  the  men.  In  the 
struggle  some  of  the  boys  managed  to  get  hold  of 
the  sutler's  canvas  tent,  a  terrific  yell,  and  the 
whole  institution  was  upset,  and  barrels  of  apples 
and  cakes,  boxes  of  butter,  cheese,  tobacco,  and 
raisins  went  flying  among  the  men  until  all  were  cap 
tured  or  destroyed.  Then  our  men  withdrew  in  good 
order  and  returned  to  the  regiment. 
*12 


274  EEMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAB. 

If  the  cavalry  officers  had  been  wise,  they  would 
have  let  the  matter  rest  there,  but  to  our  surprise  we 
heard  their  bugle  sound  the  call  to  "  boot  and  sad 
dle,"  and  saw  the  Colonel,  with  two  or  three  squad 
rons  of  his  men  well  mounted,  come  dashing  down  to 
our  regiment.  That  officer  in  a  loud  voice  asked  for 

the  commander  of  our  regiment.  Major stepped 

to  the  front,  and  said  that  he  was  the  senior  officer  in 
the  regiment,  present,  and  asked  what  was  wanted. 
The  Colonel  stated  his  case,  and  demanded  that  those 
men  be  arrested  and  punished,  and  added  the  threat 
that,  if  they  were  not,  he  would  arrest  them  himself. 
Suiting  his  action  to  his  word,  he  pressed  his  line 
forward  until  the  horses  stood  between  our  stacks  of 
guns.  By  this  time  the  boys  were  all  on  tiptoe, 
ready  for  the  fun,  and  when  the  orders  were  given  to 
take  arms  and  charge  bayonets,  it  did  not  require 
many  moments  to  put  them  in  execution.  The  re 
sult  was,  the  cavalry  was  most  handsomely  repulsed 
with  the  loss  of  half  a  dozen  horses,  including  the 
Colonel's,  all  of  which  were  injured  by  our  bayonets, 
and  had  to  be  shot,  to  end  their  sufferings.  I  pre 
sume,  if  any  of  the  members  of  that  regiment  are 
living  now,  they  will  remember  the  Twentieth  Maine. 

Here,  at  this  station,  we  went  into  camp,  and  re 
mained  until  May  2d.  While  we  were  stopping  at 
this  place,  soldiers  were  stationed  at  all  the  houses, 
as  safeguards,  to  protect  the  property  from  foragers 
of  either  army.  At  these  houses  we  usually  had 
very  enjoyable  times.  I  was  detailed  to  go  to  a 
large  plantation  down  upon  the  bank  of  the  Appo- 
mattox  river,  which  had  formerly  been  the  home  of  a 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  275 

wealthy  planter,  who  became  a  colonel  in  the  rebel 
army.  This  property  had  been  seized  and  confis 
cated  by  our  government,  and  was  then  leased  to  a 
large  number  of  contrabands,  who  were  engaged  in 
planting  corn.  Of  these  there  were  nearly  one  hun 
dred,  of  all  ages,  colors,  and  of  both  sexes.  They 
had  a  number  of  horses  and  mules,  which  they  had 
captured,  and  several  cows,  which  they  had,  by  some 
means,  obtained.  I  wish  I  could  truthfully  picture 
those  days  to  you, — the  only  period  in  all  my  life 
when  I  undertook  to  be  aristocratic.  "  I  was  mon 
arch  of  all  I  surveyed,"  and  those  hundred  negroes 
all  obeyed  my  orders.  I  selected  the  mansion  for 
my  headquarters,  and  the  common  people  occupied 
the  outbuildings  and  sheds.  If  I  wanted  a  drink 
of  cool  water  from  the  spring  that  boiled  and  bub 
bled  underneath  the  oak  trees  in  front  of  the 
house,  I  only  had  to  speak  the  word,  and  it  was 
brought  to  me.  My  meals  were  always  prepared  and 
brought  to  me  in  royal  state,  none  of  the  colored 
people  thinking  of  eating  until  I  had  finished.  Pitch- 
pine  knots  were  gathered,  and  in  the  evenings  a 
bright  fire  flamed  in  the  open  fireplace  of  my  home. 
The  choicest  hoe  cakes  and  the  most  luscious  piece  of 
bacon  were  selected  for  my  use,  and  I  had  plenty  of 
good,  rich  milk.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  this 
detail  was  a  red-letter  period  in  my  soldier's  expe 
rience.  Having  invited  a  number  of  the  boys  out  to 
dine  with  me,  I  told  "  Aunty,"  the  old  colored  cook, 
that  she  must  do  her  best  in  order  to  maintain  the 
respectability  of  the  institution;  and  didn't  the 
old  lady  cook  and  work !  The  table  was  loaded 


276  REMINISCENCES  OF  THE  WAR. 

down  with  steaming  hoe  cakes ;  we  had  coffee,  milk 
and  bacon  in  abundance,  and  we  Yankee  soldiers 
put  our  legs  beneath  the  old  rebel's  mahogany  table, 
and  had  a  grand  time.  We  ate,  talked,  laughed  and 
sang,  until  "  not  a  wave  of  trouble  rolled  across  our 
peaceful  breasts."  An  old  crippled  negro,  who  had 
been  on  the  plantation  for  years,  told  us  that,  just 
before  our  advance,  that  spring,  General  Lee  and  his 
staff  had  been  invited  out  to  a  house  in  that  neigh 
borhood  to  dine,  and  that  as  they  were  taking  their 
leave,  some  of  the  ladies  present  having  expressed  a 
fear  that  the  Yankees  would  soon  advance,the  gallant 
General  Lee  had  quieted  their  fears  by  telling  them 
there  was  no  danger,  and  adding,  that  when  the 
Union  army  entered  Richmond,  it  would  be  over  his 
dead  body.  When  Lee's  army  retreated,  a  portion 
of  it  crossed  this  plantation.  We  were  much  amused, 
as  the  old  negro  described  it  to  us  in  his  own  graphic 
manner.  The  rebels  were  retreating  very  rapidly, 
and  had  thrown  away  everything,  even  to  their  guns. 
They  rushed  down  over  the  steep  bank  of  the  river, 
and  a  number  of  them  were  drowned  as  they  were 
crossing.  Soon  after  they  passed,  a  group  of  rebel 
officers  rode  up,  and  began  to  question  the  old  man, 
and  we  knew  at  once  that  they  were  Sheridan's 
scouts.  They  asked  him  if  he  had  seen  any  of  our 
men,  and  he,  supposing  them  to  be  rebels,  answered, 
that  some  of  them  had  just  passed.  "  Where  did 
they  go  ?  "  asked  an  officer.  The  old  man  shook  his 
head  dolefully,  and  replied,  "  To  the  debble,  I  guess, 
by  the  way  they  went  past  here,"  and,  to  his  surprise, 
the  officers  loudly  laughed  at  his  reply.  But  there 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAB.  277 

was  one  mystery  the  old  colored  gentleman  could  not 
solve,  viz. :  while  the  officers  were  thus  talking  with 
him,  a  squad  of  Union  cavalrymen  came  out  of  the 
woods,  and  all  went  off  together.  All  this  he  told, 
with  his  queer  sentences  and  gestures,  much  to  the 
pleasure  of  his  listeners.  The  boys  voted  that  I  was 
the  prince  of  hosts,  and  returned  to  camp. 

On  May  2d  I  was  ordered  to  join  my  regiment,  and 
bade  farewell  to  my  colored  colony.  On  the  day 
following  we  marched  through  the  city  of  Peters- 
burgh,  and  a  very  interesting  day's  march  it  was  to  us. 
For  several  miles  before  we  reached  the  city  our  line 
of  march  was  inside  the  rebel  defenses,  and  there  we 
saw  the  lines  of  forts  and  breastworks  which  had  so 
long  defied  our  advance.  In  the  distance  we  could 
see  the  long  line  of  fortifications  behind  which  we 
lay  so  long,  and  also  the  high  signal  tower  our  en 
gineers  had  erected  near  Hatcher's  Run.  As  we 
passed  through  Petersburg!!  we  had  the  pleasure 
of  seeing  our  old  beloved  commander,  General  War 
ren,  who  had  been  relieved  from  his  command  by 
the  order  of  General  Sheridan,  at  Five  Forks.  The 
corps  had  not  been  satisfied  with  his  removal,  consid 
ering  it  both  cruel  and  unjust,  and  his  appearance 
was  the  signal  for  the  wildest  enthusiasm.  There 
was  cheering  all  along  the  line,  as  the  Fifth  corps 
passed  that  point,  and  it  must  have  been  gratifying 
to  the  heart  of  the  gallant  soldier  to  know  that  his 
men  honored  him  in  the  moments  of  his  unjust  pun 
ishment  and  disgrace.  Our  thoughts  were  so  ab 
sorbed  in  the  person  of  General  Warren,  that  I  have 
but  an  indefinite  impression  of  the  size,  condition  and 


278  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

general  appearance  of  this  town.  We  were  soon 
upon  the  turnpike  that  connects  Petersburg!!  and 
Richmond.  It  was  a  broad  pike,  and  in  good  condi 
tion,  with  stone  mile  posts  standing  by  its  side. 
Strange  emotions  filled  our  minds  as  we  marched 
along  this  road,  and  recalled  its  past  history,  away 
back  before  the  war,  when  the  wealthy,  aristocratic 
inhabitants  of  the  beautiful  capital  of  the  Old  Do 
minion  used  to  ride  in  their  luxury  over  it,  little 
dreaming  that  a  Yankee  army  of  invasion  would 
ever  march  along  the  same  way.  Through  the 
war  how  often  the  brave  Southern  soldiers  had 
marched  and  countermarched  along  that  road  in 
their  heroic  defense  of  the  Confederate  capital.  At 
night  we  halted  within  ten  miles  of  Manchester,  a 
small  city  situated  upon  the  bank  of  the  James  river, 
directly  opposite  Richmond.  The  next  day  we 
marched  to  the  former  town,  and  encamped  just  at 
its  edge,  where  we  had  a  fine  view  of  the  late  rebel 
capital.  We  remained  there  two  days,  and  as  we  had 
been  striving  to  reach  that  place  for  three  years,  it 
can  easily  be  supposed  that  now  we  had  much 
anxiety  to  see  all  that  was  to  be  seen.  There 
were  some  names  in  and  around  Richmond  with 
which  the  people  of  the  North  had  become  strangely 
familiar  through  the  last  two  years  of  the  war; 
among  them  was  Belle  Isle,  Libby  Prison,  and 
Castle  Thunder.  There  was  no  phrase  in  the  En 
glish  language  that  contained  more  horror,  through 
that  period,  for  the  Union  soldier,  than  the  expression, 
"rebel  prisons."  As  soon  as  permission  could  be 
obtained,  after  we  encamped  at  Manchester,  we  went 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR.  279 

to  gratify  our  curiosity  in  looking  at  the  prisons 
where  our  brave  comrades  had  suffered  so  much,  and 
where  so  many  of  them  had  died.  We  visited  Belle 
Jsle  first.  We  found  it  to  be  a  small  island  in  the 
James  river,  containing  several  acres,  near  the  fa 
mous  Tredegar  Iron  Works.  The  river's  current 
ran  very  swiftly  on  either  side  of  the  island.  The 
upper  portion  of  this  island  was  a  grassy  bluff,  cov 
ered  with  trees,  while  the  lower  part  was  a  low,  sandy 
plain,  nearly  on  a  level  with  the  water  of  the  river 
in  times  of  freshet.  The  island  was  connected  with 
Richmond  by  a  bridge.  The  prisoners  were  never 
allowed  to  go  upon  the  green  hillside,  and  sit  under 
the  shade  of  the  trees,  even  in  the  hottest  of  the 
weather.  That  plain  was  a  hell  spot  of  suffering  and 
anguish,  and  the  green,  shady  hillside  must  have 
seemed  to  the  sufferers  like  a  heaven  whose  pleas 
ures  they  were  not  allowed  to  enjoy.  This  sandy 
plain  was  surrounded  by  a  line  of  breastworks  some 
four  feet  high,  and  on  each  side  of  these  earthworks 
was  a  deep  ditch.  Along  the  outer  ditch  guards  were 
stationed  about  forty  feet  apart,  who  kept  watch 
day  and  night.  There  was  no  shelter  for  the  men. 
At  first  some  miserable  shelter  tents  were  furnished, 
bat  these  were  soon  taken  away,  and,  in  that  coun 
try  so  abundantly  supplied  with  lumber,  no  attempt 
was  made  to  build  a  single  barrack  or  shed,  to  pro 
tect  that  mass  of  suffering  humanity  from  the 
weather.  At  one  time  there  was  not  less  than  eleven 
thousand  men  crowded  upon  that  plain,  that  did  not 
contain  over  five  acres.  Their  sufferings  can  never 
be  estimated,  but  we  can  obtain  some  conception  of 


280  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

them,  when  we  consider  their  situation,  five  thousand 
of  them  crowded  together  in  that  mass.  Each  man 
had  only  a  space  of  three  feet  by  seven  to  occupy,  by 
actual  measurement,  with  nothing  but  the  thin  and 
ragged  uniforms  in  which  they  were  captured,  to  pro 
tect  them  from  the  winter's  cold.  At  times  the  snow 
lay  deep  upon  the  ground  around  Richmond ;  ice 
formed  in  the  James  river,  frequently,  and  flowed  down 
the  stream  in  thick  masses  upon  either  side  of  the 
island ;  water  left  in  buckets  on  the  island  froze  two  or 
three  inches  deep  in  a  single  night.  The  poor  fellows, 
coatless,  hatless,  and  often  shoeless,  did  all  in  their 
power  to  protect  themselves  from  the  awful  cold. 
If  the  material  had  been  furnished  them,  they  would 
gladly  have  constructed  their  own  shelter,  but  this 
godsend  was  denied  them.  At  nights  they  lay  in 
the  ditch,  as  the  most  protected  place,  heaped  one 
upon  another,  and  lying  as  closely  together  as  possi 
ble,  and  taking  turns  as  to  who  should  lie  in  the  out 
side  row,  which  was  the  most  exposed.  In  the  morn 
ing,  all  along  that  row,  there  would  be  the  forms  of 
those  who  were  sleeping  their  last  sleep,  men  who 
had  frozen  to  death  during  the  night ;  and  all  the 
while  they  were  starving  for  food.  One  writer  says  : 
"  The  cold  froze  them  because  they  were  hungry,  the 
hunger  consumed  them  because  they  were  cold. 
These  two  vultures  fed  upon  their  vitals,  and  no  one 
in  the  Southern  Confederacy  had  the  mercy  or  pity 
to  drive  them  away." 

When  winter  gave  way  to  summer,  the  situation 
became  worse  ;  the  sun  poured  his  intense  heat  upon 
those  unprotected  men;  they  were  not  allowed  to 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR.  281 

use  the  running  water  of  the  river,  and  diseases  mul 
tiplied  in  the  heat  until  Belle  Isle  became  almost  a 
pesthouse.  The  poor  fellows  digged  holes  in  the 
sand,  hoping  to  find  cool  moisture  there,  but  even 
that  was  hot  and  dry.  No  wonder  they  died  by 
thousands.;  I  only  wonder  that  any  escaped  from 
that  horrible  place.  In  our  visit  we  found  evi 
dences  on  every  hand,  showing  us  for  what  purpose 
the  island  had  been  used.  The  earthworks,  ditches 
and  pits  all  remained ;  rags  and  filth  covered  the 
ground,  and  a  sickly  sensation  crept  over  us  as  we 
viewed  the  scene.  As  the  sand  grated  under  our 
feet,  we  could  almost  imagine  that  we  could  hear  the 
groans  of  anguish  that  once  filled  the  air. 

It  is  a  fearful  comment  upon  the  Christian  sym 
pathy  of  the  ladies  in  the  South,  that,  while  North 
ern  ladies  were  so  kindly  caring  for  the  rebel  prison 
ers  in  Northern  hospitals  and  prisons,  not  one  South 
ern  lady  was  seen  upon  Belle  Isle,  during  all  the  time 
our  men  were  suffering  there.  I  do  not  wonder  that 
our  passions  were  stirred  as  we  beheld  the  situation 
in  which  our  men  had  been  placed,  and  I  think,  if  at 
that  moment  Jefferson  Davis  or  any  other  of  the 
Confederate  leaders  had  stood  in  the  midst  of  that 
squad  of  twenty  men,  that  they  would  have  been 
hanged  upon  one  of  those  trees,  whose  shelter  they 
would  not  allow  our  men  to  enjo}^. 

We  recrossed  the  bridge,  entered  the  city,  passed 
down  to  Carey  street,  where  Libby  Prison  was  lo 
cated.  This  prison  had  formerly  been  used  as  a  to 
bacco  warehouse  ;  it  was  a  large,  brick  building, 
some  four  or  five  stories  in  height ;  it  looked  black, 


282  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

dirty  and  grim  ;  a  board  was  nailed  upon  one  corner, 
and  upon  this  was  printed,  in  large  letters,  LIBBY 
PRISON.  The  building  contained  six  rooms,  each 
one  hundred  feet  long  and  forty  feet  wide.  At  one 
time  these  rooms  contained  twelve  hundred  Union 
officers  of  all  grades.  The  rooms  were'  low;  the 
walls  and  ceilings  were  very  black ;  the  ventilation 
was  very  poor ;  they  were  allowed  no  other  rooms 
in  which  to  eat,  sleep,  cook,  wash,  dry  clothes,  or 
take  exercise;  all  these  must  be  done  in  that  space, 
so  crowded  that  each  man  was  only  allowed  a  space 
ten  feet  by  two.  The  glass  in  the  windows  was 
nearly  all  broken  out,  so  that  in  the  winter  the  men 
must  have  suffered  much  with  the  cold,  while  in 
summer  the  rooms  were  warm  to  suffocation.  The 
captives  were  not  permitted  to  go  within  three  feet 
of  the  windows,  and  if  they  crossed  that  dead  line 
by  either  accident  or  design,  they  were  deliberately 
shot  by  the  guards.  The  only  satisfaction  that  we 
derived  from  the  inspection  of  Libby  Prison  was  to 
see  its  rooms  filled  with  rebel  prisoners.  We  did  re 
joice  to  see  them  there,  that  they  might  understand 
something  of  the  situation  in  which  our  men  were 
placed,  although  the  officer  in  charge,  who  kindly 
showed  us  the  prison,  informed  us  that  the  govern 
ment  furnished  them  with  plenty  of  food  and  fresh 
water,  and  also  permitted  the  citizens  to  do  the 
same. 

Castle  Thunder  was  on  a  much  smaller  scale  than 
either  of  the  other  prisons  I  have  named,  but  it  had 
its  full  proportion  of  horrors.  The  building  had 
originally  been  a  slave  pen — a  place  in  which  run- 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR.  283 

away  slaves  were  confined  when  captured,  while 
awaiting  their  master's  orders.  Slaves,  when  taken 
from  the  plantation  to  be  sold  in  the  Richmond  mar 
ket  for  the  Southern  cotton  trade,  would  be  thrown 
into  this  building,  so  filthy  that  a  Northern  farmer 
would  not  confine  his  animals  in  it,  until  they  were 
placed  upon  the  auction  block.  The  same  men 
who  took  delight  in  imprisoning  their  human  cattle 
there,  took  equal  delight  in  imprisoning  within  the 
same  miserable  walls  the  captive  soldiers  of  the 
Union.  In  either^  case  the  air  was  filled  with  groans 
of  anguish  wrung  from  tortured  human  hearts,  but 
in  neither  case  did  they  awaken  sympathy  in  the 
hearts  of  the  "  Southern  Chivalry."  But  the  ques 
tion  we  asked  ourselves  as  we  examined  those  prisons 
was,  who  was  responsible  for  all  this  suffering  and 
death?  and  that  question  repeats  itself  now.  An 
attempt  has  been  made,  since  the  war,  to  throw  the 
blame  all  upon  Winder,  Turner,  Wirtz,  and  a  few 
other  Confederates  who  held  subordinate  positions 
under  their  government.  I  have  no  doubt  that  these 
men  were  guilty  enough,  and  that  the  government 
was  justified  in  hanging,  at  least,  a  portion  of  them, 
as  it  did,  but  these  men  were  only  the  instruments 
or  creatures  of  the  government  under  whose  orders 
they  acted,  and  whose  hellish  malice  they  exhibited 
in  their  treatment  of  our  men.  The  terrible  responsi 
bility  of  murdering  these  thousands  of  Union  soldiers 
must  rest  upon  the  representative  men  of  the  Southern 
Confederacy,  two  of  the  most  prominent  of  whom 
were  Jefferson  Davis  and  Robert  E.  Lee. 

For  the  first  named  person  I  think  no  excuse  has 


284  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAK. 

been  offered,  and  he  must  bear  upon  the  pages  of 
history  the  burden  of  his  guilt,  without  a  word  being 
spoken  in  his  defense.  General  Lee  -did  speak  in  his 
own  defense  before  the  Joint  Committee  of  Recon 
struction,  in  February,  1866,  testifying  that  he  was 
not  aware  of  any  bad  treatment  suffered  by  Union 
prisoners,  was  not  aware  that  any  of  them  died  of  cold 
and  starvation  ;  that  no  report  was  ever  made  to  him 
of  the  sad  condition  of  Union  prisoners  anywhere ; 
that  he  never  knew  who  was  in  command  of  the 
rebel  prisons  at  Andersonville,  Salisbury,  and  else 
where,  until  the  close  of  the  war ;  and  that  he  knew 
nothing  of  the  alleged  cruelties  about  which  com 
plaints  had  been  made. 

Better  would  it  have  been  for  the  memory  of  Gen 
eral  Lee,  as  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Confederate 
army,  to  have  lived  in  history  without  any  defense  for 
the  great  wrongs  he  inspired  or  allowed,  than  to  have 
plead  ignorance  to  that  which,  from  the  position  he 
occupied,  he  must  have  well  understood.  "  Did  not 
know  of  their  condition:  " — What  a  defense  for  the 
"  brilliant  soldier  "  and  "  Christian  gentleman  "  to 
make  in  his  own  behalf!  Why,  upon  any  of  those 
days  when  he  visited  his  family  in  his  elegant  brick 
mansion  on  Franklin  street,  he  could  have  stepped  out 
upon  its  upper  gallery  to  the  south,  and  with  his  field- 
glass  have  looked  into  the  ghastly  faces  of  the  starved 
and  freezing  captives  on  Belle  Isle.  Eight  minutes 
walk  from  the  same  elegant  home  would  have  taken 
him  to  Libby  Prison,  where  he  could  have  learned 
the  condition  of  those  officers  who  were  his  prisoners 
by  the  fortunes  of  war.  The  treatment  of  those 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAE.  285 

men  was  discussed  upon  the  floor  of  the  Confederate 
Congress,  and  in  the  columns  of  the  rebel  newspa 
pers  ;  the  civilized  world  stood  horrified  at  such  dev 
ilish  cruelties,  but  the  unsuspecting  mind  of  General 
Lee  was  in  blissful  ignorance  of  it  all ! 

It  may  be  unkind  to  speak  of  these  things,  so  long 
after  the  war  has  closed,  but  lapse  of  time  has  not 
permitted  us  to  forget  the  wrongs  poured  upon  the 
heads  of  our  noble  comrades,  and  in  that  day  when 
the  slain  and  the  slayer  shall  stand  before  the  Judge, 
those  wrongs  must  be  righted. 

From  the  city  we  passed  down  the  James  river,  and 
viewed  the  rebel  fortifications  upon  its  banks  below 
the  town.  As  we  inspected  these,  we  were  not  sur 
prised  that  our  gunboats  were  unable  to  ascend  the 
river,  the  previous  year.  In  many  places  the  banks 
rose  almost  perpendicular,  to  a  height  of  one  hundred 
feet  above  the  water,  and  upon  these  banks,  much  in 
the  form  of  terraces,  were  the  rebel  fortifications. 
Many  of  the  huge  guns  which  manned  these  fortifi 
cations  were  pointed  almost  directly  downward,  and 
so  were  able,  from  this  great  height,  to  hurl  their 
shells  upon  our  boats,  while  our  men  found  it  im 
possible,  in  the  narrow  channel  of  the  river,  to  ele 
vate  their  guns  sufficiently  to  reach  the  enemy.  It 
was  an  interesting  tour,  to  inspect  those  defenses 
which  the  most  skillful  Confederate  engineers  had 
constructed,  but  it  was  to  us  a  source  of  deep  regret 
to  remember  that  their  skill  had  been  acquired  in  the 
military  schools,  and  at  the  expense  of  the  nation 
whose  life  they  were  now  endeavoring  to  destroy. 
The  old  adage  that  "  republics  are  ungrateful,"  can 
often  be  applied  to  individuals. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

MARCHING   THROUGH   RICHMOND. 

THIS,  which  to  us  was  a  memorable  event,  took 
place  on  the  sixth  day  of  May.  After  three  years  of 
bloody  strife  and  many  defeats  and  disappointments, 
it  was  some  satisfaction  to  march  through  the  streets 
of  this  city.  "  On  to  Richmond  "  had  been  our  bat 
tle  cry  for  three  years,  but  not  until  nearly  thirty 
days  after  Lee's  surrender  did  we  have  the  privilege 
of  marching  through  its  streets.  We  were  to  march 
through,  in  review  at  battalion  front.  The  city,  not 
withstanding  the  ravages  and  desolations  of  war, 
was  a  pleasant  and  beautiful  town.  The  lower  por 
tion  of  it  was  in  ruins,  and  the  huge  piles  of  smolder 
ing  bricks  and  crumbling  granite  served  to  remind 
the  citizens  of  the  last  act  of  courtesy  they  had  re 
ceived  from  the  rebel  army,  who  determined  that 
when  they  could  no  longer  defend  the  city,  they 
would  burn  it,  regardless  of  the  sufferings  that  the 
great  conflagration  would  cause  the  inhabitants  of  the 
town.  The  State  Capitol,  which  had  also  served  as 
the  Confederate  Capitol,  was  a  large  edifice,  quite 
imposing  in  its  architecture,  and  was  situated  on  a 
wide,  beautiful  street,  well  shaded  with  trees.  Al 
most  opposite  the  Capitol  was  a  noble  statue  of  Gen 
eral  Washington,  which  was  situated  in  a  beautiful 
public  park.  There  were  many  other  pleasant  and 
beautiful  buildings  in  the  town,  some  of  the  latter 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR.  287 

being  elaborate  in  design  and  elegant  in  finish.  As 
we  marched  through  the  town,  the  inhabitants,  es 
pecially  the  colored  population,  gave  us  quite  a  cor 
dial  reception,  the  sidewalks  being  covered  with 
people,  many  of  whom  were  white.  Our  bands 
played  national  airs,  but  there  was  not  much  cheer 
ing  by  the  spectators  in  the  way  of  response.  Our 
boys  were  placed  on  their  good  behavior,  and 
marched  in  a  quiet,  dignified  and  soldierly  man 
ner.  The  ladies  came  forth  from  their  homes  in 
large  numbers,  in  the  intense  heat,  and  kindly  sup 
plied  us  with  cool  water  to  drink,  an  act  of  courtesy 
that  will  be  long  remembered  by  our  soldiers.  Many 
of  the  citizens  spoke  kindly  of  the  late  President 
Lincoln,  and  expressed  sorrow  at  his  assassination ; 
they  were  also  loud  in  their  praises  of  the  manner  in 
which  General  Grant  had  treated  the  Confederate 
soldiers.  Our  uniforms  were  torn  and  ragged,  and  our 
flags  hung  in  shreds  from  their  staffs,  but  our  columns 
were  inspected  with  much  interest  by  the  citizens  of 
Richmond.  Before  noon,  our  corps  had  all  marched 
through  the  town,  and  as  we  bade  farewell  to  its 
inhabitants,  we  turned  and  took  a  last  view  of  the 
city  for  whose  possession  so  many  lives  had  been  lost. 
From  Richmond  we  were  to  march  to  Washington, 
by  the  way  of  Fredericksburgh.  On  the  first  night 
we  camped  at  Hanover  Court  House,  twenty  miles 
from  Richmond.  Our  marching  for  the  few  following 
days  was  severe.  General  Griffin,  who  was  in  com 
mand  of  our  corps,  seemed  to  have  forgotten  the 
great  interest  that  he  had  always  manifested  for  his 
men,  and  on  this  march,  where  there  was  no  possible 


288  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

reason  for  haste,  we  were  rushed  along  almost  be 
yond  the  power  of  human  endurance,  so  that  that 
last  march  was  one  of  the  most  severe  of  the  whole 
war.  We  crossed  the  rivers  whose  names  had  be 
come  familiar  to  us  in  the  great  campaign  of  the 
previous  year,  and  occasionally  came  upon  lines  of 
earthworks  which  the  rebels  had  thrown  up  at  differ 
ent  times,  to  check  the  advances  of  the  Union  armies. 
As  we  passed  over  the  plains,  crossed  the  rivers,  and 
climbed  the  hills  which  were  once  crowned  with  hos 
tile  forces,  we  could  hardly  make  ourselves  believe 
that  the  war  had  ended ;  so  that,  at  moments  when 
lost  to  the  present  in  the  reflections  of  the  past,  we 
would  find  ourselves  listening  for  the  roar  of  battle. 

On  the  ninth  of  May,  late  in  the  afternoon,  we 
crossed  the  Rappahannook  river,  about  four  miles 
below  the  city  of  Fredericksburgh,  and  went  into 
camp  for  the  night,  nearly  opposite  that  town.  We' 
were  now  upon  ground  made  familiar  to  us  by  past 
campaigns.  There  had  not  been  many  changes  in 
the  intervening  months.  Above  us  were  the  hills 
where  General  Burnside  had  massed  his  troops,  prior 
to  his  crossing  to  fight  that  fatal  and  disastrous  bat 
tle  ;  beyond  the  river  from  our  tents  was  Fredericks- 
burgh,  encircled  by  those  heights  from  which  the 
troops  of  Burnside  had  been  hurled  back  in  defeat, 
but  which  General  Sedgwick  so  gallantly  carried  in 
the  following  May,  while  the  battle  of  Ghancellors- 
ville  was  being  fought.  In  the  dim  twilight  of  that 
evening  hour  I  obeyed  a  strange  impulse,  crossed 
the  river,  passed  through  the  city,  and  up  the 
heights,  as  I  have  related  in  a  previous  chapter. 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAK.  289 

Early  the  following  morning  we  were  again  on 
the  march.  Every  step  of  the  way  was  familiar  to 
us,  and  awakened  many  sad  thoughts  in  our  minds. 
We  passed  near  the  old  camp-ground  at  Stoneman's 
Switch,  but  there  had  been  many  changes  in  its  sur 
roundings  since  we  left  it.  A  few  of  us  turned  aside 
from  the  regiment,  walked  along  what  had  been  our 
parade  ground,  visited  the  cemetery  on  the  hillside, 
and  bade  farewell  to  the  graves  of  our  old  comrades. 
We  marched  through  Stafford  Court  House,  and 
again  camped  for  the  night. 

On  the  morning  of  the  tenth,  just  as  we  were 
breaking  camp,  a  very  sad  event  occurred,  that  cast 
a  deep  gloom  over  the  whole  regiment.  Lieutenant 
Wood,  a  brave  soldier  who  had  been  at  the  front  for 
three  years,  and  who  had  escaped  a  thousand  dan 
gers,  when  rising  to  leave  his  tent,  was  fatally 
wounded,  as  follows :  A  wagoner  having  discharged 
a  carbine  accidentally,  some  twenty  rods  distant,  the 
bullet  passed  through  several  tents,  and  entered  the 
body  of  the  gallant  soldier,  who  suffered  much  pain, 
and  died  on  the  following  day.  It  did  seem  very 
hard  that  one  who  had  fought  so  bravely  and  for  so 
long  a  time  should  be  killed  after  the  war  was  ended, 
and  on  the  eve  of  his  departure  for  home. 

The  night  of  May  llth  was  a  most  memorable  one 
in  the  history  of  our  regiment,  as  the  last  night  on 
which  we  marched,  and  its  history  must  have  a  place 
in  this  volume.  At  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
there  was  a  very  heavy  shower  that  continued  until 
six;  the  rain  came  pouring  down  in  blinding  sheets, 
but  we  continued  our  march,  and,  of  course,  when 
13 


290  EEMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAK. 

the  rain  ceased  falling,  we  were  all  thoroughly 
drenched.  The  road  was  made  muddy  and  slippery, 
and  the  marching  was  very  heavy,  but  our  column 
continued  its  advance  at  a  rapid  rate.  Many  of  the 
men  became  disgusted  with  the  folly  of  our  officers, 
in  thus  pressing  us  on,  and  fell  out  of  the  ranks,  and 
pitched  their  tents  for  the  night  in  the  woods  by  the 
roadside,  so  that  but  a  few  of  us  remained.  At 
dark  we  entered  a  forest,  and  began  marching  over  a 
Virginia  corduroy  road.  The  pine  logs  of  which  this 
road-bed  was  composed  were  made  slippery  with  the 
rain,  as  the  bark  had  fallen  from  them.  In  many 
places  the  logs  had  been  removed  by  either  men  or 
floods,  so  that  deep,  muddy  holes  abounded  in  the 
way.  The  night  was  very  dark,  and  great  drops  of 
water  fell  from  the  tree  tops.  The  darkness  was 
so  intense  that  we  could  not  see  where  we  were  to 
place  our  feet,  and  could  scarcely  see  each  other. 
The  column  was  moving  rapidly,  and  we  ran,  jumped, 
slipped,  stumbled,  fell,  growled,  swore,  and  vowed 
vengeance  upon  the  heads  of  the  officers,  as  we  made 
our  way  through  that  forest.  That  night's  treatment 
was  the  most  scandalous  usage  we  received  during 
our  term  of  service.  At  one  o'clock  in  the  morning 
we  came  out  upon  a  floating  bog,  so  wet  that  the 
thick  sods  on  its  surface  would  settle  many  inches  in 
the  water  at  each  step  we  took,  and  frequently  the 
water  would  be  nearly  to  our  knees.  Upon  that 
marsh  we  were  ordered  to  camp  for  the  night.  If 
we  had  halted  in  the  afternoon,  we  could  have  had  a 
most  excellent  camping  ground,  but  now  we  were  to 
camp  upon  the  place  I  have  described.  There  was 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR.  291 

no  wood  that  we  could  obtain  for  building  fires,  and  the 
men  reeking  with  perspiration,  after  the  rapid  march, 
spread  their  blankets  upon  the  wet  ground,  and  with 
the  water  standing  in  deep  pools  around  and  beneath 
their  bodies,  tried  to  sleep.  No  wonder  that  several 
of  the  men  in  our  division  perished  before  the  morn 
ing  dawned.  I  determined  to  find  wood,  and  build  a 
fire  if  possible,  and  marched  out  into  the  darkness 
for  that  purpose.  I  walked  a  great  distance  before  I 
could  find  anything  in  the  shape  of  wood.  At  last  I 
stumbled  upon  the  trunk  of  a  small  pine  tree  that 
had  been  turned  up  by  its  roots  in  a  gale  of  wind 
and  was  lying  upon  the  ground.  The  trunk 
was  short,  and  the  top  was  large  and  bushy.  With 
great  difficulty  I  lifted  the  end  of  the  trunk  with 
the  roots  upon  it  upon  my  shoulder ;  it  was  all  that 
I  could  possibly  stand  up  under,  and  the  huge  top 
must  be  dragged.  I  made  several  ineffectual  attempts 
to  move  it,  but  at  last  my  efforts  were  crowned 
with  success,  and  I  started  for  the  regiment  with  my 
prize.  The  way  was  long,  the  tree  grew  heavy 
as  I  advanced,  and  it  was  with  much  difficulty  that  I 
determined  where  the  regiment  was,  as  the  darkness 
completely  screened  it  from  my  view.  There  was 
only  one  incident  of  interest  that  occurred  on  the 
route,  and  that  was  a  source  of  much  gratification 
to  me.  There  was  in  our  regiment  at  that  time  an 
officer  who  was  much  disliked  by  the  boys  in  the 
ranks ;  there  were  several  reasons  why  we  disliked 
him,  which  I  will  not  mention  here.  At  this  time 
he  wore  white  pants.  As  I  was  approaching  the  regi 
ment,  and  had  nearly  reached  my  destination,  I  saw 


292  KEMINTSCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

those  white  pants,  and  supposed  the  officer  was  not 
far  away.  I  saw  at  a  glance  that,  if  I  did  not 
change  my  course,  I  would  come  in  contact  with  the 
white  pants.  As,  in  the  darkness  he  did  not  see  me, 
or  the  pine  top  that  was  so  near  him,  I  was  in  the 
right  frame  of  mind  to  do  something  ugly,  so  I 
turned  not  to  the  right  hand  or  the  left,  but  when 
the  pine  top  was  about  four  feet  from  the  pants, 
I  increased  my  rate  of  speed  about  one  hundred  per 
cent;  there  was  a  slight  shock,  and  I  knew  that 
the  pine  limbs  and  the  white  pants  had  formed  a 
connection.  A  savage  oath  from  the  officer  served 
as  an  inspiration  for  a  greater  effort  on  my  part,  and 
I  made  a  most  desperate  advance.  The  result  was, 
that  the  officer  was  caught  up  in  the  dried  brush,  and 
borne  onward  a  few  feet,  while,  in  his  efforts  to  escape 
from  something,  he  knew  not  what,  he  turned  one  or 
two  hand  springs,  and  fell  upon  the  wet  marsh, 
in  a  most  dilapidated  condition.  He  never  knew 
the  source  of  his  misfortune.  As  he  mounted  his 
horse,  on  the  following  morning,  those  pants  looked 
as  if  a  hundred  pound  shell  had  exploded  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  their  owner.  I  reached  the 
company  with  my  fuel ;  we  broke  up  the  dried  limbs 
as  best  we  could,  and  built  a  small  fire  in  front  of  our 
shelter  tent,  so  near  that  our  feet  would  almost  reach 
the  fire  as  we  lay  in  the  tent.  Our  blankets  were 
spread  upon  the  wet  ground,  and  we  retired  for  the 
night.  The  wind  blew  almost  a  gale,  and  swept 
great  masses  of  black  clouds  through  the  air ;  the 
water  was  cold  beneath  us;  the  little  fire  snapped 
and  crackled  at  our  feet ;  I  was  tired  and  fell  asleep. 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAR.  293 

Some  time  before  daylight  I  awoke  and  found  that 
I  was  nearly  dead  with  severe  cramps  in  all  parts  of 
my  body ;  I  felt  a  strange  and  unnatural  pressure  on 
my  feet,  and  found  that  half-a-dozen  fellows  from 
other  regiments  had  camped  around  our  fire,  and 
that  three  or  four  of  them  had  deliberately  lain  down 
upon  our  feet  and  legs.  It  is  no  fiction  that  I  write, 
when  I  say  that,  for  the  next  five  minutes,  our 
feet  flew  lively  and  with  vigor ;  and  I  can  imagine 
that  the  sleeping  Pennsylvania  Dutchmen,  upon 
whom  our  kicks  were  falling,  dreamed  that  they  were 
once  more  under  fire,  and  that  rebel  shells  were  ex 
ploding  around  them.  In  the  morning  it  was  very 
cold,  and  we  were  nearly  frozen.  I  think  that  all 
my  old  comrades  will  say,  with  me,  that  the  last 
night's  march  of  our  old  regiment  was  the  most  un 
comfortable  one  of  our  three  years'  campaign.  Quite 
early  in  the  morning  we  were  ordered  to  "  fall  in," 
and  soon  marched  away.  We  passed  by  Fairfax 
Court  House,  and  knew  that  we  were  rapidly  near- 
ing  our  destination,  the  city  of  Washington.  This 
afforded  us  new  inspiration,  and  as  we  thought  how 
soon  our  marches  were  to  be  over,  we  unconsciously 
increased  our  speed;  rapidly  we  crossed  fields, 
climbed  hills,  and  descended  into  valleys.  We  be 
gan  to  climb  another  steep  ascent — it  was  Arlington 
heights — and  we  knew  that  from  its  top  we  could  see 
the  city  of  Washington.  We  remembered  when  our 
regiment  saw  it  the  last  time,  in  those  dark  days  be 
tween  the  disastrous  campaign  on  the  Peninsula  and 
the  battle  of  Antietam,  when  we  had  joined  the  army. 
Then  the  booming  of  the  Confederate  guns  was 


294  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAR. 

distinctly  heard  in  the  streets  of  the  national  capital ; 
but  now  the  rebels  were  disarmed  and  treason  was 
crushed.  We  reached  the  crest  of  the  heights,  and 
looked  in  the  direction  of  Washington,  but  to  our 
disappointment  a  bank  of  fog  obscured  it  from  our 
view ;  but  as  we  continued  to  gaze  with  a  longing 
look,  the  fog  began  to  scatter  beneath  the  rays  of  the 
sun,  and  indistinctly  we  began  to  see  the  outlines  of 
the  city.  Soon  we  saw  it  in  all  its  beauty;  and 
as  we  stood  and  surveyed  that  scene,  we  understood 
something  of  the  feelings  that  filled  the  hearts  of 
the  crusaders,  when,  after  their  long,  weary  marches 
and  bloody  battles,  they  stood  upon  the  hills  that 
encircled  Jerusalem,  and  for  the  first  time  obtained  a 
view  of  the  holy  city. 

We  soon  went  into  camp  upon  Arlington  Heights; 
our  company  streets  were  made,  and  for  the  last  time 
we  pitched  our  shelter  tents  on  the  soil  of  Virginia. 
That  camp  was  but  a  short  distance  from  Fort  Craig, 
where  we  had  passed  our  first  night  upon  the  sacred 
soil  of  the  South.  As  we  connected  the  two  dates 
in  our  minds,  and  surveyed  the  period  of  time  be 
tween  them,  as  we  thought  of  the  many  dangers 
through  which  we  had  passed,  of  the  twenty  battle 
fields  on  which  our  regiment  had  fought,  and  the 
wonderful  manner  in  which  our  lives  had  been  pre 
served,  our  hearts  were  filled  with  gratitude  and 
thanksgiving.  The  days  we  passed  in  that  encamp 
ment  were  very  pleasant.  The  peach  orchards  were 
in  bloom;  fields  were  carpeted  with  grass  and  flowers; 
and  we  visited  many  points  of  interest  in  and  around 
Washington.  The  great  army  of  General  Sherman 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE    WAR.  295 

arrived  at  Washington,  and  we  had  the  pleasure  of 
becoming  acquainted  with  those  heroes  who  marched 
from  Atlanta  to  the  sea.  There  was,  of  course, 
much  rivalry  between  the  two  armies,  and  occa 
sional  skirmishes  between  some  of  the  men,  but  the 
associations  were  very  pleasant  and  much  enjoyed  by 
both  armies.  The  days  passed  rapidly  away.  We 
knew  that  preparations  were  being  rapidly  made  to 
muster  us  out,  and  that  we  would  soon  be  at  home. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

"THE   GREAT   REVIEW." 

IT  was  decided  by  the  Government  that,  before  its 
gallant  armies  should  be  disbanded,  their  great  victo 
ries  should  be  commemorated  by  the  greatest  military 
display  that  was  ever  witnessed  on  the  continent, — a 
review  in  which  the  two  great  armies  of  the  Potomac 
and  the  Southwest  should  take  a  part, — and  elaborate 
preparations  were  made  for  it  in  the  city  of  Washing 
ton.     Along  the  route  where  the  procession  was  to 
pass,  tiers  of  seats  were  constructed,  huge  stands  of  ob 
servation  were  erected,  and  the  buildings  which  had 
so  recently  been  draped  in  mourning  at  the  death  of 
President  Lincoln,  were  now  robed  in  the  national 
colors,  while  mottoes  of  welcome  on  every  hand  were 
to  greet  the  conquering  heroes.     Thousands  of  citi 
zens  from  all  parts  of  the  United  States  (save,  per 
haps,  the  South),  hastened  to  the  capital  to  behold 
the  wonderful  procession,  the  equal  of  which  would 
probably  never  be  seen  again  in  the  history  of  the 
United  States.     Two  days  were  to  be  consumed  in  this 
vast  military   display,   and   the   twenty-second  and 
twenty-third  days  of  May  was  the  appointed  time. 
We  were  tired  and  worn  from  the  long,  weary  marches 
we  had  made,  but  it  was  not  a  difficult  task  to  get  up 
considerable  enthusiasm  over  the  coming  review.    The 
thoughts  of  it  reminded  us  of  the  histories  we  had 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  297 

studied  in  our  school  days,  about  the  armies  of  Rome 
marching  in  grand  processions  and  carrying  the  sacred 
eagles  through  the  Eternal  City,  amidst  all  the  beauty 
and  luxury  of  the  great  Roman  capital,  and  we 
looked  forward  with  considerable  anxiety  for  the  day 
to  arrive  when,  in  like  manner,  we  should  march 
through  the  streets  of  the  capital  of  the  great  West 
ern  Republic,  amid  scenes  as  magnificent,  and  with 
step  as  haughty,  as  those  of  the  old  Roman  soldiers 
in  the  days  of  their  pride  and  power.  There  was, 
evidently,  a  determination  on  the  part  of  our  offi 
cers  that  the  army  of  the  Potomac,  which  was  to 
be  reviewed  on  the  first  day,  should  make  as  fine 
an  appearance  as  the  army  of  General  Sherman, 
which  was  to  be  reviewed  on  the  following  day. 
Many  articles  of  new  clothing  were  dealt  out  to  the 
men;  white  gloves  were  provided  for  a  large  portion 
of  them ;  we  took  great  pains  to  have  our  uniforms, 
gu,ns  and  equipments  all  in  excellent  order ;  and  when 
we  fell  into  line  that  morning,  we  were  as  fine  a  look 
ing  body  of  troops  as  were  ever  mustered  upon  the 
continent.  It  is  impossible  for  me  to  describe  that 
royal  scene ;  the  buildings  were  all  draped  in  national 
colors;  flags  were  flying  in  every  direction;  the  side 
walks  were  packed  with  spectators ;  every  square  and 
yard  was  thronged  with  the  vast  multitude ;  the  win 
dows,  balconies  and  roofs  of  buildings  were  filled  and 
covered  with  human  beings  ;  the  great  stands  erected 
were  occupied  by  officers  of  high  rank  in  both  civil 
and  military  life ;  the  tiers  of  seats  were  filled  with 
thousands  of  school  children,  all  dressed  in  white, 
who  hurled  hundreds  of  beautiful  bouquets  of  flowers 
*13 


298  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

upon  us  as  we  passed;  we  marched  with  columns 
closed  to  half  distance,  with  thirty  men  abreast ; 
the  artillery  posted  around  Washington  thundered 
forth  a  grand  welcome ;  the  bands  all  played  the 
national  airs ;  the  people  cheered  until  they  were 
hoarse ;  banners  waved  and  handkerchiefs  fluttered. 
When  a  regimental  color  made  its  appearance  in  the 
procession,  that  was  torn  and  tattered,  it  was  a  signal 
for  the  most  uproarious  applause  ;  and  thus,  through 
the  day,  the  nation  welcomed  its  defenders. 

We  marched  through  Pennsylvania  avenue,  and  up 
to  the  edge  of  Georgetown,  recrossed  the  Potomac 
river,  and  reached  our  camping  ground  early  in  the 
evening.  It  had  been  a  very  severe  day's  march,  but 
I  imagine  it  will  always  be  remembered  with  much 
pleasure  by  every  soldier  who  participated  in  it. 

On  the  following  day  we  had  the  pleasure  of  see 
ing  Sherman's  veterans  as  they  marched  along  the 
same  route.  The  contrast  in  the  two  armies  was.  a 
most  ludicrous  one.  As  I  have  already  stated,  our 
officers  had  shown  much  anxiety  to  have  us  present 
a  very  soldierly  appearance  as  we  marched  in  review, 
and,  much  to  our  disgust,  had  insisted  upon  our 
drawing  new  caps  and  wearing  white  gloves,  but 
Sherman's  men  went  to  the  other  extreme.  One 
would  have  supposed,  as  he  observed  them,  that  they 
were  making  their  renowned  march  through  Georgia, 
instead  of  marching  in  review  through  the  streets  of 
Washington.  Such  an  appearance  as  they  made ! 
There  were  evidently  no  attempts  made  to  keep 
their  lines  closed  up  and  well-dressed  as  they  ad 
vanced,  but  each  man  marched  to  suit  his  own  con- 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  299 

venience.  Their  uniforms  were  a  cross  between  the 
regulation  blue  and  the  Southern  gray.  The  men  were 
sunburned,  while  their  hair"  and  beards  were  uncut 
and  uncombed ;  they  were  clad  in  blue,  gray,  black 
and  brown;  huge  slouched  hats,  black  and  gray, 
adorned  their  heads ;  their  boots  were  covered  with 
the  mud  they  had  brought  up  from  Georgia;  their 
guns  were  of  all  designs,  from  the  Springfield  rifle  to 
a  cavalry  carbine,  which  each  man  carried  as  he 
pleased,  whether  it  was  at  "a  shoulder,"  "a  trail,'* 
or  a  "  right  shoulder  shift " ;  and  thus  ragged, 
dirty,  and  independently  demoralized,  that  great 
army,  whose  wonderful  campaigns  had  astonished 
the  world,  swept  along  through  the  streets  of  the 
capital,  whose  honor  they  had  so  bravely  defended. 
The  great  chieftain,  Sherman,  rode  at  its  head,  tall, 
spare,  bronzed ;  grimly  he  rode,  in  a  plain  uniform,  as 
if  utterly  indifferent  to  all  the  honors  a  grateful 
country  was  pouring  upon  its  honored  son.  The 
men  chatted,  laughed  and  cheered,  just  as  they 
pleased,  all  along  the  route  of  their  march.  Our  men 
enjoyed  this  all  very  much,  and  many  of  them  mut 
tered,  "  Sherman  is  the  man  after  all."  The  two  ar 
mies  encamped  near  each  other  for  several  days,  and 
soon  quite  a  bitter  rivalry  sprang  up  between  them. 
Sherman's  men  regarded  the  army  of  the  Potomac 
with  considerable  contempt,  and  thought  that,  al 
though  we  understood  all  about  "  reviews "  and 
"dress  parades,"  we  knew  nothing  of  great  cam 
paigns  and  desperate  battles.  On  the  other  hand 
the  army  of  the  Potomac  stoutly  contended  that 
if  Sherman  had  encountered  the  army  of  Gen- 


300  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE    WAR. 

eral  Lee,  in  Georgia,  instead  of  a  small  force  of 
"  bushwhackers,"  his  army  would  never  have 
"  marched  down  to  the  sea."  These  discussions  soon 
became  warm,  and  resulted  in  frequent  skirmishes 
between  the  two  armies.  But  one  day  some  of  Sher 
man's  men  unexpectedly  "  caught  a  tartar."  They 
chanced  to  come  in  collision  with  the  remnant  of 
that  gallant  body  of  men  known  as  "  The  Irish 
Brigade."  Sherman's  men  entered  the  encampment 
of  this  old  brigade,  and  with  their  usual  coolness  and 
audacity,  began  to  stir  things  up.  The  brave  Irish 
men  were  perfectly  at  home  in  that  kind  of  work,  and 
a  fierce  struggle  was  soon  raging.  It  was  a  square 
stand-up  and  knock-down  affair,  with  the  success  all 
upon  the  side  of  the  Irishmen.  For  once  the  gallant 
men  from  the  Southwest  had  found  their  match ;  for 
a  time  they  fought  desperately,  but  were  at  last 
obliged  to  retreat  to  their  own  camp,  with  bloody 
faces  and  in  wild  disorder,  while  the  wild  cheers  of 
the  victors  would  have  done  credit  to  "  Donnybrook 
Fair."  From  that  time  Sherman's  men  had  more  re 
spect  for  the  army  of  the  Potomac,  so  that  when  any 
of  them  came  to  our  regiment,  and  began  to  boast  in 
an  offensive  manner  of  their  prowess,  we  had  only  to 
ask  them  if  they  had  ever  heard  of  the  old  Irish 
Brigade,  and  Sherman  stock  would  depreciate  a  hun 
dred  per  cent  at  the  bare  mention  of  that  name. 

Many  amusing  events  occurred  during  the  few 
weeks  we  were  encamped  on  Arlington  Heights, 
awaiting  our  discharge.  The  forts  around  Washing 
ton  were  then  garrisoned  by  men  who  had  never 
been  to  the  front,  and  who  knew  but  little  about 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  301 

war,  and  of  course  there  was  very  much  red  tape 
among  both  officers  and  men.  A  squad  of  our  boys 
went  over  to  visit  one  of  these  forts,  and  of  course 
had  much  curiosity  to  look  it  over.  It  had  been 
constructed  upon  the  crest  of  a  hill,  so  that,  in  its 
front,  the  ground  descended  quite  rapidly  for  a  long 
distance.  Some  of  the  boys  had  climbed  up  on  the 
side  of  the  fort,  to  inspect  one  of  the  guns  that  was 
mounted  there,  when  a  little  fussy,  bandbox  sort  of 
an  officer,  who  apparently  did  not  know  much  about 
"  the  stern  realities  of  war,"  came  out  of  the  fort, 
and  commanded  them  to  get  down.  They  evidently 
did  not  like  the  tone  of  authority  in  which  the  officer 
spoke,  and  so  did  not  obey  him,  while  he,  flaming 
with  anger,  drew  his  sword,  and  dashed  in  among 
them.  The  men  caught  him  up  in  their  hands,  as 
they  would  a  child,  and  then  looked  around  to  see 
what  innocent  punishment  they  could  inflict  upon 
him ;  fortune  favored  them ;  near  where  they  stood, 
a  huge  cask  was  sitting;  it  had  been  emptied  of 
its  contents  in  the  sutler's  shop,  and  had  been  care 
lessly  placed  outside  the  fort;  only  a  portion  of 
one  of  the  heads  had  been  removed ;  this  was  just 
what  they  wanted,  and  they  hastily  squeezed  the 
officer  through  the  small  opening,  until  he  was  safely 
caged,  then  with  derisive  shouts  they  placed  the  cask 
upon  its  side,  and  sent  it  rolling  rapidly  down  the 
steep  hillside,  and  scampered  away  just  in  time 
to  elude  the  guard  of  soldiers  who  had  heard  the 
alarm,  and  were  now  rapidly  advancing.  I  presume 
the  officer  was  soon  liberated  from  his  novel  place  of 
confinement,  but,  if  he  is  living,  I  will  venture  to  de- 


302  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

clare  that  he  still  remembers  the  ride  he  enjoyed  in 
that  great  cask,  as  it  rolled,  bounded  and  bumped  for 
twenty  rods  down  that  memorable  hillside. 

Many  other  incidents  of  a  similar  character  could 
be  narrated,  if  space  permitted,  many  of  which 
would  be  condemned  by  those  who  know  nothing  of 
army  life,  but  they  were  all  done  thoughtlessly,  and 
without  malice.  The  boys  had  been  at  the  front  for 
three  years ;  the  war  had  ended,  and  the  country 
was  saved ;  as  a  matter  of  course  they  were  all  in 
excellent  spirits,  and  these  episodes  were  but  the 
safety-valves  through  which  escaped  the  excessive 
amount  of  their  animal  nature. 

We  visited  all  the  points  of  interest  in  and  around 
Washington.  We  found  much  to  interest  us  while 
visiting  the  late  home  of  the  rebel  general,  Robert 
E.  Lee,  a  magnificent  residence,  beautifully  situated, 
commanding  a  fine  view  of  Washington  and  the  sur 
rounding  country.  It  had  been  confiscated  by  the 
Government,  by  whom  it  was  henceforth  to  be 
owned  and  used.  A  beautiful  national  cemetery 
has  been  constructed  there,  that  contains  the  remains 
of  several  thousand  Union  soldiers,  who  gave  their 
lives  to  put  down  the  rebellion  that  the  owner  of 
that  princely  estate  helped  inaugurate.  We  also  ex 
changed  visits  with  many  of  our  old  friends  who 
were  members  of  other  regiments,  whom  we  had  not 
met  for  years,  and  talked  of  old  times  when  we  were 
boys  together,  and  fought  once  more  the  battles  of 
the  great  campaigns  through  which  we  had  passed ; 
and  thus  the  days  passed  rapidly,  and  the  time  soon 
came  when  we  were  to  be  mustered  out  of  the 
United  States  service,  and  return  to  our  homes. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

HOMEWARD    BOUND. 

SUNDAY,  June  4th,  was  a  beautiful  day ;  the  deep 
blue  sky  was  not  flecked  with  a  single  cloud ;  the 
sun  rose  majestically,  and  rode  up  the  eastern  horizon 
in  a  chariot  of  gold.  It  was  ten  o'clock  in  the  morn 
ing,  the  church  bells  in  the  distant  city  were  sum 
moning  the  people  to  assemble  for  worship,  and  the 
invitations  thus  pouring  forth  from  their  brazen 
throats  came  booming  faintly  over  the  hillside  where 
we  were  encamped,  but  we  listened  not  to  their  mu 
sic,  for  other  events  of  greater  importance  to  us  were 
transpiring.  The  regimental  bugle  sounded  the  call 
to  "  Fall  in  "  ;  our  regiment  was  soon  in  line,  and  we 
marched  to  our  parade  ground,  near  the  Colonel's 
headquarters,  and  there  we  were  mustered  out  of  the 
United  States  service, — an  event  for  which  we  had 
been  looking  with  much  interest  for  three  years, — an 
event  for  which  many  of  our  comrades  looked  in 
vain. 

On  the  following  day  we  marched  to  Washington. 
I  still  remember  my  own  feelings  as  we  marched 
down  Arlington  Heights  for  the  last  time,  and  the 
feeling  of  relief  I  experienced  when  we  stepped  upon 
the  long  bridge,  and  knew  that  we  had  bade  farewell 
to  the  Old  Dominion.  No  more  weary  tramps  for  us 
through  the  mud  of  Virginia's  sacred  soil !  We  re- 


304  REMINISCENCES   OP   THE  WAR. 

mained  in  Washington  for  several  hours ;  the  city 
was  filled  with  troops  who  were  departing  for  their 
respective  states,  and  every  train  of  cars  was  loaded 
with  the  bronzed  veterans.  At  six  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  we  left  Washington,  by  rail,  for  Philadel 
phia,  and  reached  that  city  the  following  day,  soon 
after  noon.  The  Philadelphians  gave  us  a  royal  wel 
come,  no  other  people  in  the  Union  exhibiting  greater 
generosity  for  the  soldiers  than  did  the  inhabitants  of 
the  city  of  "brotherly  love."  They  never  thought 
to  inquire  of  a  soldier,  or  a  regiment  of  soldiers,  as  to 
what  state  they  were  from ;  it  was  enough  for  them 
to  know  that  they  were  soldiers  in  the  service  of  the 
Republic,  and  all  their  wants  were  supplied  by  a 
most  generous  hand.  We  marched  to  an  elegant  re 
freshment  saloon,  where  a  fine  dinner  was  served  to 
us,  "  without  money  and  without  price."  We  gave 
three  ringing,  hearty  cheers  for  our  generous  hosts, 
and,  amid  the  cheers  of  the  thousands  of  spectators,  we 
departed  for  New  York,  and  reached  that  city  early  in 
the  morning  of  the  seventh.  We  camped  for  several 
hours  at  the  Battery,  near  Castle  Garden,  and  in  the 
afternoon  we  marched  to  embark  upon  one  of  the 
steamers  of  the  Stonington  line  for  Boston.  Our 
line  of  march  for  a  considerable  distance  was  along 
Broadway,  and  I  wish  I  could  describe  the  scene. 
The  people  poured  from  their  houses  and  places  of 
business  by  thousands ;  the  great  thoroughfare  was 
literally  packed  with  humanity ;  every  sidewalk,  yard, 
lawn,  square,  park,  window,  balcony  and  roof  was 
covered  and  filled  with  people  ;  the  street  was  filled 
with  teams  of  every  description,  all  locked  in  together, 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR.  305 

and  it  appeared  to  us  as  if  they  could  never  escape 
from  such  a  dead-lock;  our  band  played,  and  the 
people  cheered.  The  New  Yorkers  have  a  cheer 
that  is  peculiar  to  themselves,  about  half-way  be 
tween  the  yell  of  a  Camanche  Indian,  and  the  cheer 
of  a  rebel  soldier,  with  the  howl  of  a  wolf  thrown 
in  for  variations.  A  brawny  truckman  would  mount 
his  dray,  and  yell  hi,  hi,  hi !  a  hackman  off  in  another 
part  of  the  crowd  would  catch  it  up,  and  add  to  its 
quantity  by  giving  several  yells  peculiar  to  himself,  and 
then  ten  thousand  voices  would  come  in  on  the  chorus 
— hurrah!  hurrah !  hurrah !  We  were  never  received 
anywhere  with  greater  enthusiasm  than  in  the  city 
of  New  York.  Early  in  the  morning  of  June  8th 
we  arrived  in  Boston.  We  were  to  remain  there 
until  eleven  o'clock,  and  the  boys  quickly  scattered 
through  the  town,  and  all  that  was  left  to  remind  us 
of  the  existence  of  our  regiment,  were  the  guns,  and 
the  men  detailed  to  guard  the  regimental  property. 

At  ten  and  a  half  o'clock,  Joe  Tyler,  the  bugler, 
blew  the  old  call,  "  Dan,  Dan,  Dan,  Butterfield,  But- 
terfield,  Butterfield,"  and  our  boys  came  dashing 
along  the  streets  of  Boston,  with  as  much  zeal  to  as 
semble  on  the  colors,  as  they  had  displayed  on  the 
fields  of  the  South,  when  surrounded  by  the  scenes 
of  war.  We  were  quickly  on  board  the  cars,  and  at 
four  o'clock  that  afternoon  we  arrived  in  Portland. 
We  waited  for  a  few  moments  at  the  depot,  when  the 
train  bearing  the  gallant  Seventeenth  Maine  regi 
ment  arrived,  and  then,  forming  a  procession  with 
them,  we  marched  through  the  principal  streets  of 
the  beautiful  city.  The  citizens  were  out  in  great 


306  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAR. 

numbers,  and  gave  us  a  hearty  welcome.  Early  in 
the  evening  we  stacked  our  guns  in  the  City  Hall, 
and  sat  down  to  a  sumptuous  repast  the  ladies  had 
provided  for  us.  That  evening  was  a  very  enjoyable 
one,  and  at  its  close  our  regiment  marched  to  its  old 
encampment  on  Cape  Elizabeth.  It  was  past  mid 
night  when  we  reached  the  gloomy  old  barracks ; 
we  were  tired  and  sleepy,  and  quickly  climbed  into 
the  dirty  bunks  and  were  soon  asleep.  We  dreamed 
of  peace  and  home  and  friends,  but  to  our  great 
surprise,  when  we  awoke  in  the  morning,  we  were  sur 
rounded  by  reminders  of  war.  The  encampment 
was  inclosed  by  a  fence  too  high  for  even  old  soldiers 
to  scale,  and  the  only  passages  out  were  by  the  way  of 
huge  gates,  and  these  were  guarded  by  a  detachment 
of  the  Invalid  corps.  We  were  informed  that  no  one 
could  pass  out  without  obtaining  passes  from  the 
officer  who  was  in  command  of  the  camp.  A  squad 
of  us  quickly  went  to  the  headquarters  of  that  im 
portant  functionary,  and  asked  for  passes.  He  very 
coolly  informed  us  that  he  had  decided  not  to  give 
any  passes  at  present,  but  that  if  he  changed  his 
mind,  our  regiment  would  be  notified  of  the  fact. 
Just  at  that  moment  the  breakfast  call  was  heard, 
and  with  much  indignation  we  made  our  way  to  the 
cook-house,  where  we  were  to  receive  our  rations.  A 
cup  of  black  coffee,  without  sugar,  and  half-a-dozen 
moldy  "hard-tacks"  were  handed  to  each  man  as 
his  rations  for  the  day.  The  indications  of  war  that 
had  been  visible  for  the  last  hour  now  became  more 
apparent.  To  receive  such  usage  in  our  own  state, 
after  a  three  years'  service  at  the  front,  we  had  not 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  307 

expected.  The  gallant  commander  of  the  camp  saw 
that  a  storm  was  brewing,  and  wisely  decided  to  crush 
it  at  its  birth,  and  so,  in  "  full  regimentals,"  he  soon 
made  his  appearance  among  the  men,  and  ordered  them 
to  go  to  their  barracks,  and  there  remain  until  they  re 
ceived  orders  from  him  permitting  them  to  come  out. 
At  that,  our  men  were  beside  themselves  with  rage. 
They  caught  up  the  contents  of  the  hard-bread  box, 
and  opened  a  brisk  fire  upon  the  portly  form  of  the 
officer,  who  began  to  make  a  rapid  retreat  across  the 
parade  ground,  toward  his  headquarters.  It  was  a 
ludicrous  spectacle, — the  intrepid  Major  under  fire, 
perhaps  for  the  first  time,  puffing  along  on  the  double- 
quick,  dodging  to  escape  the  sheets  of  hard-bread 
which  his  merciless  pursuers  were  throwing  at  him. 
When  this  officer  had  made  good  his  escape,  we  held 
a  council  of  war,  aad  it  was  unanimously  decided 
that  the  safety  of  the  country  demanded  the  destruc 
tion  of  the  gates,  and  a  storming  party  was  quickly 
formed  to  make  the  assault.  The  officers  in  com 
mand  of  the  camp  were  busily  at  work,  and  quickly 
had  a  double  line  of  guards  from  the  Invalid  corps 
formed  between  us  and  the  great  gates.  While  our 
assaulting  column  was  forming,  we  could  see  the  lines 
of  guards  as  they  deliberately  loaded  their  guns,  and 
heard  their  officers  command  them  to  open  fire  upon 
us  if  we  made  any  attempt  to  pass  out.  The  officers 
were  so  angry  that  I  think  they  would  have  been 
glad  if  one-half  of  our  regiment  had  been  shot,  but 
many  of  those  guards  were  old  soldiers,  and  we  did 
not  believe  that  they  would  shoot ;  and  when  all  was 
ready,  with  a  loud  cheer,  we  threw  ourselves  upon 


308  REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR. 

the  lines  of  guards.  They  did  not  have  time  to  fire, 
even  if  they  had  been  disposed  to  do  so,  and  before 
they  recovered  from  the  panic,  the  gates  were  broken 
into  pieces,  and  heaped  upon  the  parade  ground, 
thus  making  excellent  material  for  the  bonfire  we 
built  as  a  signal  of  our  victory.  For  this  little  skir 
mish  our  discharge  was  delayed,  so  that  it  was  several 
weeks  before  we  received  our  pay  and  took  our 
departure ;  but  a  large  portion  of  the  regiment  re 
fused  to  remain  in  camp,  and  found  more  comforta 
ble  quarters  in  the  city,  at  their  own  expense.  I 
recollect  that  a  small  squad  of  us  were  accustomed 
to  place  our  feet,  three  times  a  day,  beneath  the  ma 
hogany  of  a  first-class  hotel,  at  the  rate  of  twenty- 
one  dollars  a  week  for  each  individual. 

But  the  day  at  length  arrived  when  we  were  to 
march  down  to  the  city,  and  turn  our  guns  and 
equipments  over  to  the  Government.  It  was  the 
last  march  of  our  gallant  regiment,  but  how  unlike 
the  regiment  that  was  mustered  there,  three  years 
before !  We  had  been  terribly  smitten  by  the  storm 
of  war,  and  there  was  but  a  remnant  left  to  tell  the 
story  of  our  adventures. 

In  a  street  near  the  arsenal  we  stacked  our  guns, 
and  upon  their  bayonets  we  hung  for  the  last  time 
our  equipments.  It  was  a  sad  moment ;  we  had  not 
realized  before  how  it  would  seem  to  separate. 
Colonel  Morrill  called  for  three  cheers  for  the  old  rifles 
that  had  done  us  such  excellent  service,  and  they 
were  given  with  a  will ;  then  three  more  were  given 
for  the  colors  under  which  we  had  fought,  and  then 
three  more  for  the  "  Land  we  love  the  best."  When 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    WAR.  309 

these  cheers  had  all  been  given,  the  boys  voluntarily 
gave  three  more  for  gallant  Colonel  Merrill,  a  man 
whose  "  Courage  was  only  excelled  by  his  modesty." 
Then  came  the  last  hand-shakings  and  good-bys. 
Eyes  grew  moist,  cheeks  that  had  been  unblanched 
amid  the  horrors  of  the  battle-field  became  pale  and 
sad  in  these  moments  of  separation.  The  ties  that 
bound  us  together  were  of  the  most  sacred  nature  ; 
they  had  been  begotten  in  hardships  and  baptized  in 
blood.  Men  who  lived  together  in  the  little  shelter 
tent,  slept  beneath  the  same  blanket,  had  di 
vided  the  scanty  ration,  and  "  drank  from  the  same 
canteen,"  were  now  to  be  separated  forever.  The 
last  good-by  was  said,  our  ranks  were  broken  for 
the  last  time,  and  we  turned  our  faces  homeward. 
For  us  there  were  to  be  no  more  weary  marches,  no 
more  midnight  alarms.  The  strife,  dangers,  and 
deaths  of  a  soldier's  life  were  no  more  to  follow  our 
footsteps,  but  in  the  more  peaceful  pursuits  of  civil 
life  we  were  to  move.  No  matter  how  humble  the 
positions  we  were  destined  to  fill,  we  were  always 
to  derive  infinite  satisfaction  from  the  thought  that 
in  the  hour  of  the  country's  peril  we  had  not  been 
found  wanting,  but  had  cheerfully  rendered  what  little 
service  we  could,  to  defend  its  honor  and  preserve  its 
life.  Thus  we  separated ;  many  of  us  have  never 
met  each  other  since ;  I  presume  we  never  shall  in 
this  world ;  but  in  that  day  when  the  reveille  of  God 
shall  awaken  the  slumbering  hosts  of  humanity,  may 
we  reform  our  ranks  upon  the  parade  ground  of 
eternity,  as  the  soldiers  of  the  great  Prince  of  Peace. 


CHAPTER  XX. 
HOSPITAL,      LIFE 

an  experience  in  itself  to  the  soldiers,  an  ex 
perience  that  was  determined  largely  by  the  location 
of  the  hospitals,  and  character  of  those  men  who  were 
in  charge  of  them.  In  the  field  hospital,  of  course, 
the  experience  was  of  a  stern,  harsh,  rugged  nature ; 
it  was  a  place  where  sick  men  received  but  little 
care,  where  wounds  were  carelessly  dressed,  and 
limbs  were  recklessly  amputated.  The  associations 
of  those  places  cling  to  one  much  like  the  indistinct 
memories  of  a  nightmare,  and  many  a  maimed  hero 
will  shudder  at  the  thought  of  his  experience  in  the 
field  hospital.  But  those  located  at  a  greater  dis 
tance  from  the  front,  of  course  afforded  many  more 
conveniences  and  comforts  than  those  of  which  I 
have  spoken.  In  Washington  the  hospitals  were  ad 
mirably  conducted,  and  the  "Sisters  of  Charity," 
who  kindly  acted  as  nurses,  conveyed  much  sunshine 
to  the  suffering  soldiers.  But  the  climate  was  so 
unfavorable,  and  the  hospitals  were  usually  so  over 
crowded,  that  there  was  much  sickness  and  death  at 
the  best.  The  kind  Sisters  of  Charity,  who  came 
from  their  homes  of  peaceful  seclusion,  to  minister 
unto  the  wants  of  the  suffering  and  dying,  deserve 
much  gratitude  for  their  noble  work.  As  they  moved 
among  the  wounded  in  their  quiet  way,  they  seemed 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  311 

like  angels  of  mercy  sent  in  the  providence  of  God 
to  do  His  work  for  suffering  humanity. 

One  of  my  comrades  related  his  experience  to  me 
in  something  like  the  following  language  :  "  You  re 
member  I  was  shot  in  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness ; 
the  Johnnies  winged  me  just  as  our  division  was 
falling  back,  on  the  afternoon  of  the  first  day's  fight ; 
the  minies  shattered  the  bones  of  my  leg,  but  with 
the  assistance  of  my  chums  I  managed  to  escape 
from  the  Johnnies,  and  reach  the  division  hospital, 
about  a  mile  in  rear  of  the  line  of  battle.  My  wound 
was  not  dressed  until  I  reached  Lincoln  Hospital,  in 
Washington ;  it  was  after  dark  when  I  arrived,  the 
surgeons  held  a  consultation,  and  decided  that  my 
leg  must  come  off.  They  put  a  sponge  to  my  face, 
and  all  became  indistinct.  When  I  awoke,  every 
thing  around  me  looked  dim  and  ghostlike.  At 
first  I  thought  I  had  been  mustered  out  for  good, 
and  was  becoming  acquainted  with  the  other  world, 
but  as  objects  became  more  distinct,  I  saw  that  I 
was  in  a  long,  narrow  room,  with  a  row  of  beds  on 
each  side.  Then  I  remembered  that  I  had  reached 
the  hospital  before  I  fell  asleep.  My  injured  leg  was 
feeling  very  singularly,  and  my  ankle,  foot  and  toes 
were  all  paining  me  severely.  I  raised  my  head,  and 
to  my  great  surprise  found  that  my  leg  had  disap 
peared  ;  it  had  been  amputated,  and  carried  away, 
but  was  as  painful  as  ever.  I  groaned,  and  fell  back 
upon  my  pillow.  At  that  moment  a  form  that  I  had 
not  before  noticed  arose  from  a  seat  at  the  head  of 
my  bed,  and  stooped  down  over  me.  I  wish  I  could 
describe  that  person  to  you ;  it  was  a  woman  dressed 


312  REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR. 

in  curious  black  garments,  with  an  odd,  white  gear 
upon  her  head;  bat  I  forgot  all  that  when  I  glanced 
at  her  face.  I  never  expect  to  see  the  like  again 
until  I  see  the  angels ;  her  face  was  pale,  sad,  and 
plain,  but  there  was  much  tenderness  and  sympathy 
expressed  in  it ;  her  voice  was  so  gentle  and  pleasant, 
and  the  touch  of  her  hand  upon  my  head  was  so 
soothing,  that  somehow  I  fancied  that  I  was  a  little 
child  once  more,  and  that  mother  was  soothing  me 
to  sleep.  When  I  awoke,  she  had  vanished,  and  I 
asked  the  fellow  in  the  bed  next  to  mine,  who  on 
earth  that  woman  was  in  the  black  dress  and  white 
head-gear.  He  replied,  '  One  of  the  Sisters  of  Char 
ity;  they  are  inmates  of  some  Catholic  institution 
up-town,  but  volunteer  to  assist  in  taking  care  of 
the  wounded  soldiers.'  She  soon  made  her  appear 
ance  again,  and  for  three  weeks,  day  and  night, 
when  my  life  was  given  up  by  all  the  surgeons,  that 
woman  stood  over  me,  and  by  her  skillful  nursing 
my  life  was  saved.  I  tell  you,  Gerrish,  I  have  al 
ways  heard  terrible  yarns  about  the  Catholics,  how 
wicked  they  are,  but  when  I  think  of  the  treatment 
there  given  me,  I  have  about  made  up  my  mind  that 
being  a  Catholic  does  not  prevent  one  from  being  a 
Christian."  I  presume  many  of  my  old  comrades 
will  remember  a  similar  experience,  and  will  agree 
with  the  verdict  given  above. 

But  of  all  the  hospitals  in  the  country,  those  in 
and  around  Philadelphia,  for  comfort,  convenience 
and  kind  treatment  bestowed,  excelled  all  others. 
The  citizens,  with  a  measureless  generosity,  used  to 
bear  large  quantities  of  delicacies  and  luxuries  to 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  313 

the  patients.  The  surgeons  were  nearly  all  civilians, 
and  many  of  them  belonged  to  the  Society  of 
Friends,  kind,  generous,  noble-hearted  men.  They 
were  thoroughly  honest  themselves,  and  expected 
every  one  else  to  be  the  same.  The  boys  used  to 
take  many  advantages  of  them,  and  play  many  de 
ceptions  and  practical  jokes  upon  them,  but  when 
they  discovered  it,  in  the  kindness  of  their  hearts,  it 
was  generally  overlooked. 

I  well  remember  the  reception  that  a  large  squad 
of  us  received  when  we  entered  the  McClellan  hos 
pital.  This  hospital  was  located  between  the  cities 
of  Philadelphia  and  Germantown,  upon  a  beautiful 
plain  that  stretched  its  fertile  acres  for  a  great  dis 
tance  in  every  direction.  There  were  beautiful 
orchards,  magnificent  dwellings,  and  grand  old  shade 
trees,  and  in  the  midst  of  them  was  the  hospital,  a 
great  clump  of  buildings  capable  of  accommodating 
two  thousand  patients.  We  had  been  wounded  sev 
eral  weeks  before,  and  were  now  being  transferred 
from  the  Lincoln  Hospital  at  Washington  to  this  place. 
It  was  a  lovely  summer's  day  when  the  train  stopped 
at  the  little  village  of  Nicetown,  and,  with  wounds  un- 
healed,  we  walked  across  the  beautiful  field  that  inter 
vened  between  the  depot  and  entrance  to  the  hospi 
tal.  The  sentinels  stepped  back  from  the  gates  as  we 
approached  them,  and  we  passed  through  those  open 
ings  in  the  high  board  fence  that  inclosed  all  the 
buildings.  We  quickly  observed  that  all  parts  of 
the  hospital  were  in  a  very  neat,  tidy  condition.  The 
graveled  walks  between  the  wards,  and  the  little 
parks  in  the  center  of  the  grounds,  were  Uned  and 
14 


314  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

covered  with  beautiful  plants  and  flowers  that  filled 
the  atmosphere  with  a  delicious  odor,  and  in  their 
blushing  beauty  seemed  to  give  us  a  hearty  though 
silent  welcome.  We  were  conducted  to  the  recep 
tion  room,  where  our  wounds  were  to  be  examined, 
and  where  we  would  also  be  assigned  to  our  respect 
ive  wards,  and  our  squad  of  two  hundred  men  were 
soon  seated  upon  the  clean  benches,  awaiting  further 
orders.  The  doors  were  soon  opened,  and  a  delega 
tion  of  waiters  entered,  bearing  large  kettles  of  hot 
coffee,  loaves  of  bread,  and  delicious  lumps  of  yellow 
butter;  these  they  quickly  distributed  among  the 
men.  This  was  a  new  experience  to  us,  that  reminded 
us  of  home,  and  as  we  ate  with  ravenous  appetites, 
many  eyes  in  the  company  were  moist  with  tears  of 
gratitude  that  we  could  not  find  words  to  express. 

Before  the  repast  was  finished,  the  surgeon  in 
charge  of  the  hospital  arrived,  and  quickly  intro 
duced  himself  to  us.  He  was  evidently  a  fine, 
genial  gentleman,  and  his  countenance  beamed  with 
benevolence,  but  his  appearance  was  a  most  ludi 
crous  one, — a  short,  stout  man,  full  formed,  bald- 
headed,  with  small  legs  that  seemed  to  bend  under 
the  weight  that  was  placed  upon  them;  his  eyes 
were  screened  with  green  glasses,  and  all  the  apology 
he  wore  for  a  government  uniform  was  the  green 
sash  worn  outside  his  ill-fitting  suit  of  dark  gray; 
his  face  was  round,  and  reminded  one  of  the  moon 
at  its  full.  He  waddled  to  the  center  of  the  room, 
and  doubtless  recognizing  the  importance  of  the  oc 
casion,  bowed,  and  made  what  he  designed  to  be  a 
military  salute  with  his  hand,  and  addressed  us  as 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR.  315 

follows: — "Well,  boys,  you  are  now  in  my  care,  and 
I  can  tell  you  that  you  are  in  clover,  provided,  of 
course,  you  obey  all  the  rules  and  regulations  of 
the  hospital.  This  is  a  government  institution,  and 
the  discipline,  you  will  find,  is  very  severe."  Here 
he  stopped  to  wipe  the  perspiration  from  his  face, 
but  as  we  saw  his  countenance  beaming  with  sympa 
thy  and  kindness,  we  had  no  serious  fears  as  to  the 
discipline  of  which  he  spoke.  "  I  have  had  thousands 
of  the  boys  here  under  my  care,"  he  continued, 
"  and  not  one  of  them  has  ever  transgressed  a  single 
law ;  if  they  had,  their  punishment  would  have  been 
most  severe,  and  I  shall  expect  the  same  behavior 
from  you."  We  were  quickly  assigned  to  our  wards; 
I  was  placed  in  ward  number  one;  clean  clothes 
were  issued  to  us  all ;  we  had  nice  beds,  with  fresh, 
white  linen,  and  everything  was  as  neat  and  tidy  as 
we  could  desire.  What  pleasant  weeks  those  were  I 
Our  ward,  containing  sixty  patients,  was  a  long, 
narrow  building;  the  beds  were  all  single,  and 
placed  with  the  heads  next  to  the  walls,  leaving  a 
broad  aisle  some  ten  feet  wide  in  the  center  of  the 
room,  between  the  two  rows  of  beds.  At  one  end  of 
the  ward  were  the  bath  rooms,  and  at  the  other,  the 
dining-hall.  What  stories  we  used  to  tell,  and  what 
practical  jokes  we  used  to  play  upon  each  other ! 
I  fear  that  at  times  we  used  to  take  advantage 
of  the  unsuspecting  physicians  and  attendants,  and 
do  many  things  which  their  regulations  forbade.  I 
have  an  indistinct  recollection  that  some  of  the  boys 
used  to  climb  out  of  the  back  window,  and  that 
there  were  certain  pickets  in  the  fence  that  could 


316  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR. 

be  easily  taken  from  their  places,  so  as  to  allow  us  to 
pass  through,  and  then  be  replaced  so  as  to  con 
ceal  our  tracks.  Many  of  those  little  beds  were 
vacant  at  night,  when  the  authorities  supposed  that 
the  patients  were  all  in. 

Ten  Passes  were  issued  in  the  ward  each  day,  and 
upon  these,  ten  men  could  pass  through  the  guard, 
and  visit  the  city  ;  so  that  at  least  once  a  week  we 
were  permitted  to  go  free ;  but  many  plans  were 
devised  to  increase  our  visits,  so  that  scarcely  a 
day  passed  in  which  we  did  not  enjoy  all  the  lib 
erty  we  could  desire.  Our  old  friend,  the  sur 
geon  in  charge,  visited  us  each  day,  always  kind 
and  pleasant,  but  so  honest  and  unsuspecting  that 
we  took  great  delight  in  playing  practical  jokes  upon 
him, — jokes  that  did  him  no  actual  harm,  but  were  a 
source  of  great  amusement  to  us.  I  remember  that 
one  day  he  visited  us,  and  stood  in  the  center  of  our 
ward,  and  made  us  a  little  speech,  —making  those 
little  speeches  was  a  favorite  pastime  with  him ; — he 
told  us  that  he  was  then  on  his  way  to  the  gates, 
where  he  was  to  meet  a  large  delegation  of  ladies 
who  had  come  down  from  Harrisburgh  to  visit  the 
hospital,  and  that  he  was  to  escort  them  through  all 
the  wards,  beginning  with  ours.  They  were  ladies 
of  high  social  rank,  and  of  course  we  would  all  be 
gentlemen  while  they  were  passing  through  the  ward. 
The  physician  was  an  unmarried  man,  some  forty 
years  of  age,  and  was,  this  morning,  clad  in  a  fine 
new  suit  of  clothes  that  he  had  put  on  for  the  occa 
sion  ;  but  most  unfortunately  for  him,  when  he  was 
speaking,  he  stood  with  his  back  near  the  bed  of 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  317 

Jack  Wright,  a  wounded  soldier  hailing    from  the 
state  of  Delaware.     The  latter  was  always  ready  for 
fun,  and  was  very  skillful  in  carrying  out  any  plan 
for  mischief  that  his   fertile   brain   conceived.     On 
that  morning,  Jack  was  playing  with  two  small  flags ; 
just   as    the    physician    entered   the   ward,   he   suc 
ceeded  in  fastening  them  together,  in  a  crossed  posi 
tion,  with   a   large   brass    pin   surmounted  with  a 
huge    bronzed    eagle.      While   the    physician   was 
speaking,  Jack,  with  great  dexterity,  pinned  these 
flags  upon  the  back  of  the  officer's  coat,  just  below 
his  waist,  who  soon  hurried  from  the  room,  with  the 
national  color  surmounted  by  the  American  Eagle 
flying  at  his  coat  tails.     As  the  door  closed  behind 
him,  a  volcano  of  laughter  shook  the  ward.     "  What 
a  patriotic   old   saint  he  is,"  roared   Jack  Wright, 
and  then  another  burst   of   laughter   rolled    along 
the  two  rows  of  beds.     All  we  feared  was,  that  the 
flags  would  be  discovered  by  the  victim  of  our  joke 
before  the  ladies    saw  him,  but  we  were  soon  re 
lieved  by  the  sounds  of  voices,  and  approaching  foot 
steps.     The  door  opened,  and  down  along  the  broad 
aisle  came  the  physician,  followed  by  a  score  of  la 
dies.     This  was  the  moment  and  occasion  of  his  life, 
and  I  never  saw  him  put  on  so  many  airs  before ;  his 
face  was  wj-eathed  with  smiles ;  his  small,  crooked 
legs  did  heroic  service  to  support  the  portly  form 
that  bobbed  and  rolled  along  between  the  two  rows 
of  beds;    the  little   flags   flapped  and   fluttered   as 
if  with  pride ;  and  the  great  eagle  seemed  as  if  about 
to  give  a  scream  of  national  defiance  and  independ 
ence.     We  viewed  the  display,  and  endeavored  not 


318  BEMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

to  laugh.  The  elderly  ladies,  who  followed  next  to 
the  physician,  evidently  supposed  that  this  orna 
mentation  was  a  badge  or  insignia  of  the  offi 
cer's  rank,  and  so  they  surveyed,  with  becoming  awe, 
these  emblems  of  American  greatness ;  but  the 
younger  members  of  the  party,  who  followed  after 
their  seniors,  saw  the  mirth  sparkling  in  the  eyes 
and  shining  upon  the  countenances  of  the  soldiers, 
and  mistrusted  that  some  joke  was  being  played; 
and  as  they  peered  over  the  shoulders  of  those  who 
were  in  front  of  them,  and  saw  the  patriotic  display 
pinned  upon  the  coat  tails  of  their  escort,  they  could 
only  refrain  from  laughing  outright,  by  placing  their 
handkerchiefs  to  their  faces.  The  procession  soon 
after  left  our  ward,  and  then  such  fun  as  we  had 
over  the  brilliant  success  of  the  whole  affair ! 

Early  the  next  morning  the  physician  came  to  our 
ward.  It  was  the  only  time  we  ever  saw  that  face 
clouded  with  a  frown.  He  was  in  a  state  of  great 
excitement,  and  in  a  trembling  voice  told  us  of  the 
outrage  that  had  been  perpetrated  upon  him.  There 
were  two  questions  that  he  proposed  to  ask,  and  we 
must  answer  them  truthfully.  Had  any  man  in  that 
ward  had  any  knowledge  of  the  party  who  performd 
the  act  ?  If  so,  he  must  state  what  he  knew,  since  to 
remain  silent  would  be  an  offense  so  great  as  to  re 
ceive  the  most  severe  punishment.  Every  boy  in  the 
room  was  silent,  which  of  course  was  positive  proof 
that  we  knew  nothing  about  it.  Had  any  man 
in  the  ward  noticed  the  flags  or  the  eagle,  as  he 
passed  through  with  the  ladies?  Not  a  man  spoke, 
thus  giving  the  encouraging  thought  that  the  flags 


REMINISCENCES   OP  THE   WAB.  319 

were  not  so  conspicuous  as  the  victim  had  feared. 
Jack  Wright  here  arose,  with  deep  regret  pictured  on 
each  feature,  and  inquired  how  long  he  had  worn 
them  before  he  discovered  the  outrage.  The  officer 
informed  us  that  it  was  after  the  ladies  departed,  and 
he  had  returned  to  his  own  room.  In  a  few  well- 
chosen  words,  Jack,  the  graceless  scamp,  expressed 
regret  that  such  an  unpleasant  event  had  occurred, 
and  called  for  all  those  in  the  ward,  who  were  in  sym 
pathy  with  his  remarks,  and  who  would  pledge  them 
selves  to  endeavor  to  ascertain  who  the  offender  was, 
to  manifest  it  by  standing  up.  It  is  needless  to  add, 
that  every  man  in  the  ward  stood  upon  his  feet,  and 
that  the  unsuspecting  victim  left  us,  after  expressing 
his  gratitude  for  our  sympathy  and  manly  conduct. 
I  do  riot  think  that  the  physician  ever  learned  who 
the  culprit  was,  and  I  suppose  it  was  a  mean  joke  for 
us  to  play  upon  one  who  was  so  kind  to  us,  but  it 
was  such  fun  to  us,  that  I  hope  it  was  excusable. 

A  gentleman  in  the  city,  who  was  the  proprietor 
of  a  large  eating  establishment,  had  a  brother  who 
commanded  the  Second  division  of  the  Sixth  corps? 
and  naturally  had  a  great  interest  in  the  men  who 
belonged  to  his  brother's  command.  Their  corps 
badge  was  a  white  Roman  cross,  and  whenever  this 
gentleman  saw  a  soldier  wearing  that  badge,  he  would 
invite  him  to  eat,  and  never  charge  him  any  price 
for  his  refreshments.  We  soon  learned  that  fact, 
and  white  Roman  crosses  became  very  plenty,  and  al 
most  every  soldier  hailed  from  that  division.  Several 
weeks  passed  before  the  gentleman  became  aware 


320  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

of  the  fraud  being  practiced  upon  him,  and  for  those 
few  weeks  his  tables  were  well  filled. 

But  through  all  those  years  of  war,  while  thousands 
of  sick  and  wounded  soldiers  were  being  cared  for  in 
that  beautiful  city,  the  generous,  kind  hearted,  patri 
otic  citizens  forgave  all  the  misdemeanors  of  their 
guests,  and  treated  them  with  royal  kindness  until 
the  war  was  over.  Other  Northern  cities  honored 
themselves  in  showering  many  acts  of  kind  generosity 
upon  the  soldiers  in  the  hospitals,  but  Philadelphia 
stands  far  above  them  all. 

We  had  much  rare  sport  while  in  the  hospital  at 
Augusta,  in  our  own  state,  for  a  few  weeks,  and  I 
presume  that,  if  any  of  the  farmers  on  those  fertile 
hills  around  that  city  read  these  pages,  they  will  re 
member  how  we  used  to  make  raids  upon  their  apples, 
sweet  corn,  and  beehives  ;  how  they  used  to  endeavor 
to  frighten  us  away  by  firing  guns  directly  up  into  the 
air,  and  trying  to  make  us  believe  that  the  watch 
dogs  were  coining  to  devour  us ;  and  how  we  sat  on 
the  fences,  ate  the  best  apples,  and  laughed  at  their 
anger.  I  suppose  it  was  enough  to  make  a  man  angry, 
to  see  us  behave  in  such  a  manner,  and  take  so  much 
liberty  with  things  we  did  not  own,  but  anger  is  not 
always  the  most  effective  weapon  of  defense.  I  well 
remember  that,  one  pleasant  afternoon,  four  of  us 
went  out  from  the  hospital  to  the  hill,  some  three 
miles  upon  the  road  leading  to  Winthrop.  There 
was  a  magnificent  orchard  in  view,  and  we  were  de 
termined  to  have  some  fruit ;  we  climbed  the  fence, 
and  entered  an  orchard  which  was  very  near  the 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAR.  321 

large  farmhouse.  We  had  just  begun  to  pick  and 
test  some  of  the  apples,  when  a  pleasant  gentleman 
appeared,  and,  to  our  great  confusion,  told  us  that 
those  apples  were  not  as  good  as  he  wished  us  to  have, 
that  he  had  gathered  his  best  fruit,  and  if  we  would 
follow  him  to  the  shed,  he  would  give  us  some  better 
ones.  We  could  not  refuse  the  polite  invitation,  but 
it  was  a  severe  punishment  for  us  to  follow  him. 
While  passing  through  the  shed,  the  call  for  supper 
was  made,  and  our  host  insisted  upon  our  becoming 
his  guests  at  the  supper  table.  In  vain  we  made  a 
dozen  excuses,  but  with  our  faces  mantled  in  shame, 
we  sat  down  at  the  well  loaded  table  and  ate.  As 
we  arose  to  depart,  the  gentleman  informed  us  that, 
while  we  remained  in  Augusta,  he  wanted  us  to  come 
to  his  home  as  frequently  as  we  could,  and  that  his 
fruit  and  food  were  at  our  disposal  at  all  times.  It 
was  a  relief  to  us  when  we  passed  out  of  his  home. 
From  that  hour  his  property  was  sacred  in  our  sight , 
his  kind  words  and  generous  act  had  done  more  to 
overcome  us,  than  all  the  angry  threats  made  to  us  by 
his  neighbors. 

In  this  description  of  hospital  life  I  have  omitted 
the  scenes  of  suffering  that  were  daily  witnessed; 
how  the  brave  men,  whose  bodies  and  limbs  were 
broken  and  mangled  by  shot  and  shell,  heroically  en 
dured  the  long  hours  of  intense  agony,  until  their 
wounds  were  healed,  or  their  gallant  spirits  were 
mustered  out  by  the  grim  messenger — death. 

Many  there  suffered  with  sickness,  and  death  was 
a  daily  visitor  that  came  and  bore  some  gallant  soul 
*14 


322  EEMINISCBNCES   OP  THE  WAK. 

away  to  its  eternal  reward.  No  other  nation  on 
the  globe  ever  provided  such  elaborate  hospitals  for 
their  soldiers  as  did  ours,  and,  as  we  remember  how 
the  Government  has  always  stood  by  its  defenders,  it 
inspires  our  hearts  with  a  new  determination  to  al 
ways  stand  by  the  Government. 


CHAPTER    XXL 

PEN  PICTURES   OF   UNION  GENERALS. 
ULYSSES   S.   GRANT. 

THE  form  and  features  of  this  officer  are  too  fa 
miliar  to  all  our  American  people,  to  require  a  de 
scription  from  my  pen.  That  he  was  the  pre-eminent 
general  of  the  Union  army  is  a  fact  now  accepted  by 
all.  Whoever  may  be  assigned  to  the  second  posi 
tion,  the  first  must  always  be  given  to  the  subject  of 
this  sketch.  After  the  beginning  of  his  brilliant  ca 
reer  in  the  Southwest,  we  had  always  wished  that  he 
might  be  transferred  to  Virginia,  and  be  placed  in 
command  of  the  army  of  the  Potomac ;  but  he  did 
not  arrive  until  after  we  had  lost  much  of  our  boyish 
enthusiasm  for  our  commanders,  and  consequently 
he  was  never  received,  when  riding  along  the  lines, 
with  that  overwhelming  amount  of  cheering  that  al 
ways  greeted  General  McClellan.  General  Grant 
was  a  fighter,  and  took  much  more  pleasure  in  drill 
ing  his  men  to  shoot,  than  he  did  in  teaching  them 
to  cheer.  His  military  creed  was  brief  and  rigorous ; 
it  was  made  up  of  bullets,  blows  and  battles,  and  he 
never  displayed  a  great  taste  for  reviews,  parades 
and  receptions.  There  was  nothing  dashing  in  his 
appearance,  but  when  the  "  old  man "  rode  out 
among  us,  we  always  gave  him  a  respectable  amount 
of  cheering.  We  always  had  great  confidence  in 


324  BEMINI8CENCE8   OF  THE   WAE. 

his  ability,  and  never  doubted  that  he  would  crush 
the  army  of  General  Lee.  Our  losses  were  enor 
mous  while  he  was  in  command,  but  we  derived 
much  satisfaction  from  the  thought  that,  at  last, 
the  army  of  the  Potomac  had  a  commander  who 
would  not  retreat  at  the  close  of  every  battle,  and 
that  the  Confederacy  was  reeling  under  the  heavy 
blows  that  were  falling  from  his  mailed  hand.  In 
his  personal  appearance  he  was  very  unassuming. 
Any  one  gazing  at  the  plain  looking  man,  clad  in 
blue  pants  and  blouse,  black  slouched  hat,  arid  heavy 
top  boots  well  spattered  with  mud,  would  hardly 
suppose  that  he  was  the  distinguished  Lieutenant- 
General  of  the  Union  armies.  His  face  was  un- 
shaved,  and  was  usually  covered  with  a  bristling, 
clipped  beard  of  a  reddish  color,  about  one  inch  in 
length.  The  only  insignia  of  rank  that  he  wore  were 
the  small  glittering  stars  upon  his  shoulders,  while 
there  were  many  lieutenants  in  the  army  who 
sported  much  more  gold  lace  than  he.  He  always 
looked  the  same,  in  camp,  on  the  march,  or  in  the 
battle,  where  he  was  carrying  responsibilities  that 
would  have  crushed  a  giant.  In  all  the  emergen 
cies  that  arose  around  him,  he  was  the  same  cool, 
sagacious,  grim,  silent  commander.  He  met  the 
most  skillful  general  of  the  Confederacy,  Robert  E. 
Lee,  for  the  first  time,  in  the  Wilderness,  where  he 
grasped  the  rebellion  by  the  throat,  and  never  relin 
quished  his  hold,  until  treason  gasped  in  death.  No 
man  was  ever  more  cruelly  slandered  arid  criticised 
than  was  General  Grant,  from  the  opening  of  the 
Wilderness  campaign,  unto  its  close.  But  through 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAR.  825 

that  storm  of  censure,  which  would  have  swept  a  less 
resolute  man  from  such  a  prominent  position,  Gen 
eral  Grant  remained  firm,  and,  through  those  long, 
bitter  months,  the  most  perilous  that  this  country 
ever  saw,  his  massive  brain,  rugged  will  and  power 
ful  arm  were  the  bulwarks  that  preserved  our  na 
tional  life  from  the  tides  of  deathly  influence  that 
were  poured  in  upon  it  by  the  rebels  and  their  trai 
torous  sympathizers.  But  when  the  Southern  Con 
federacy  lay  in  broken  fragments  at  the  feet  of  the 
gallant  army  that  Grant  had  led  on  to  such  glorious 
conquests,  for  a  brief  time  all  parties  forgot  their 
prejudices,  and  rendered  unto  this  hero  the  honor  ho 
so  justly  deserved.  Many  years  have  passed  since 
then,  but  the  survivors  of  those  battles  love  to  think 
of  their  old  commander,  and  the  great  work  he  did 
in  preserving  the  nation's  life.  It  has  been  quite 
fashionable,  for  a  few  years,  for  certain  classes  of  poli 
ticians  to  declare  that  the  only  way  to  save  the  coun 
try  from  certain  calamities  that  threaten  it,  is  to 
abuse  the  character  and  motives  of  General  Grant. 
The  boys  in  blue  have  not  taken  an  active  part  in 
such  discussions,  but  as  they  have  listened  to  those 
men  who  are  so  warlike  in  times  of  peace,  but  who 
were  so  peaceful  in  the  days  of  war,  they  can  but 
think  that,  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  "old  man" 
whom  they  now  abuse,  perhaps  we  should  now 
have  no  country  to  save.  So  then,  in  the  midst 
of  all  this  criticism,  let  us  remember  that  the 
services  rendered  by  this  distinguished  officer  in  a 
single  campaign  did  more  to  maintain  the  institutions 
of  our  country  than  all  the  so-callod  brilliant  public 


326  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

services  rendered  to  it  by  the  persons  and  press  who 
have  come  in  collision  with  him. 

GEOBGE   G.   MEADE. 

Of  all  the  commanders  of  the  army  of  the  Potomac, 
General  George  G.  Meade  was  the  most  successful, 
and  of  that  small  group  of  men  who  stand  forth  as 
the  pre-eminent  leaders  of  the  Union  armies,  no 
one  deserves  a  warmer  place  in  the  affections  of 
the  American  people  than  he.  His  bravery  and  abil 
ity  have  been  universally  acknowledged  and  appre 
ciated,  and  it  has  remained  for  General  Double- 
day,  nearly  twenty  years  after  the  close  of  the  war, 
and  ten  years  after  the  death  of  his  old  commander, 
to  win  the  unenviable  notoriety  of  making  grave 
charges  of  incompetency  against  him,  charges  which 
were  made  in  February,  1864,  but  which  then  carried 
no  weight,  because  the  Government,  to  whom  they 
were  made,  was  familiar  with  the  facts,  and  also  ac 
quainted  with  the  two  officers.  The  book  written  by 
General  Doubleday,  and  just  issued  from  the  press  of 
Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  comes  to  us  as  a  history 
of  the  Chancellorsville  and  Gettysburgh  campaign. 
History  should  be  a  calm,  impartial  statement  of 
facts,  and  can  only  properly  be  written  by  an  un 
prejudiced  author.  Now  the  value  of  General 
Doubleday's  production  as  an  impartial  statement 
of  facts,  may  be  estimated  from  certain  testimony 
that  he  gave  before  the  congressional  commit 
tee  on  the  conduct  of  the  war,  in  February,  1864. 
Being  asked  why,  in  his  opinion,  he  had  been  relieved 
of  his  command  on  the  first  day  of  July,  and  why 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  327 

General  Hancock  was  ordered  by  General  Meade  to 
assume  command  of  the  troops  of  General  Howard, 
who  was  Hancock's  superior  officer  in  point  of  rank, 
General  Doubleday  answered  as  follows : 

"I  think  that  General  Meade  thought  a  couple  of 
scapegoats  necessary,  in  case  the  next  day's  battle 
turned  out  unfavorably.  General  Meade  is  in  the 
habit  of  violating  the  organic  law  of  the  army,  to 
place  his  own  personal  friends  in  power.  No  man 
who  is  an  anti-slavery  man,  or  an  anti-McClellan 
man,  can  expect  decent  treatment  in  the  army  as  it 
is  now  constituted." 

A  man  who  would  make  such  bitter  and  ground 
less  charges  in  1864,  is  hardly  the  one  to  select  as  the 
impartial  historian  of  the  same  events,  twenty  years 
later. 

As  to  General  Doubleday's  charge  that  General 
Meade  designed  to  retreat  from  Gettysburgh  at  the 
close  of  the  first  day's  battle,  let  us  listen  for  a  mo 
ment  to  the  testimony  of  the  dead, — the  words  of  our 
old  commander,  as  spoken  under  oath  before  the 
above  named  committee,  in  February,  1864 : 

"  I  utterly  deny,  under  the  full  solemnity  and  sanc 
tity  of  my  oath,  and  in  the  firm  conviction  that  the 
day  will  come  when  the  secrets  of  all  men  shall  be 
made  known ;  I  utterly  deny  ever  having  intended 
or  thought  for  one  instant  to  withdraw  that  army, 
unless  the  military  contingencies  which  the  future 
should  develop  during  the  course  of  the  day  might 
render  it  a  matter  of  necessity  that  the  army  should 
be  withdrawn.  I  base  this  denial,  not  only  upon  my 
own  assertion  and  my  own  veracity,  but  I  shall  also 


328  REMINISCENCES   OP  THE  WAK. 

show  to  the  committee  from  documentary  evidence, 
the  dispatches  and  orders  issued  by  me  at  different 
periods  during  that  day,  that,  if  I  did  intend  any  such 
operation,  I  was  at  the  same  time  doing  things  totally 
inconsistent  with  any  such  intention.  I  refer  you 
to  General  Hunt,  chief  of  artillery,  and  who  had 
artillery  occupying  a  space  from  four  to  five  miles, 
drawn  out  on  the  road,  and  who,  if  I  had  intended 
to  have  withdrawn  the  army,  should  have  been  told 
to  get  his  trains  out  of  the  way,  the  very  first  thing, 
because  the  troops  could  not  move  until  the  artillery 
moved.  I  would  also  ask  you  to  call  upon  General 
Ingalls,  my  chief  quartermaster,  who  had  charge  of 
the  trains ;  also  General  Warren,  my  chief  engineer, 
who  will  tell  you  that  he  was  with  me  the  whole  of 
that  day,  in  constant  intercourse  and  communication 
with  me,  and  that  instead  of  intending  to  withdraw 
my  army,  I  was  talking  about  other  matters." 

I  think  that,  with  these  scraps  of  history  before 
them,  the  public  will  not  be  at  a  loss  to  decide  as  to 
which  testimony  is  the  most  reliable,  and  will  also 
place  a  proper  estimate  upon  the  book  of  General 
Doubleday.  But  if  these  were  not  in  existence 
— fortunately  for  the  memory  of  General  Meade,  and 
unfortunately  for  General  Doubleday,  the  selfish, 
egotistic  I  stands  forth  so  prominently  in  the  work 
referred  to,  that  it  will  not  endanger  the  reputation 
of  General  Meade,  or  preserve  that  of  his  critic. 

We  remember  General  Meade  as  a  tall,  spare  man, 
with  broad,  stooping  shoulders,  high  forehead,  and 
prominent  features.  He  had  not  the  dashing  appear 
ance  of  many  other  generals,  but  when  we  saw  that 


EEMTSTSCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  329 

tall,  bowed  form,  enveloped  in  a  great  brown  over 
coat,  riding  to  the  front,  we  always  felt  safe.  He 
was  conservative  arid  moderate,  cool  and  sagacious, 
patient  and  brave.  On  the  peninsula,  at  Aritietarn, 
Fredericksburgh  arid  Chancellorsville,  he  displayed 
such  qualities  that  the  Government  was  justified  in 
giving  him  command  of  its  principal  army,  in  the 
most  critical  hour  of  the  civil  war.  That  the  honor 
of  the  victory  at  Gettysburgh  is  not  largely  due  to 
him,  the  country  will  never  believe;  and  the  fact 
that  he  retained  the  command  of  that  army  through 
the  succeeding  campaigns,  possessing  to  the  fullest 
extent  the  confidence  of  General  Grant,  is  proof 
enough  of  his  ability  as  a  commanding  officer. 

GEORGE   B.   MCCLELLAN 

Was  the  most  popular  commander  in  the  armies  of 
the  United  States.  Bonaparte  was  never  a  greater 
favorite  in  the  armies  of  France  than  was  General 
McClellan  in  the  army  of  the  Potomac.  In  appear 
ance,  at  least,  "he  was  every  inch  a  soldier."  He 
possessed  a  fine  form,  was  always  clad  in  a  rich,  neat 
uniform  of  dark  blue,  was  a  magnificent  horseman, 
and  was  as  fine  a  looking  officer  as  the  Union  ar 
mies  ever  saw.  No  Union  general  has  been  more 
severely  criticised  than  he  ;  many  have  charged  him 
with  cowardice,  and  others  with  treason ;  both 
classes  display  much  more  prejudice  than  good  sense 
in  their  accusations.  That  he  was  neither  a  coward 
or  a  traitor  does  not  need  to  be  argued  for  a  single 
moment.  If  we  desire  to  find  causes  for  his  disas 
trous  failures  while  in  command  of  the  army  of  the 


330  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

Potomac,  we  can  easily  trace  them  to  other  causes 
than  these. 

First.  It  cannot  be  denied  that  his  superiors  at 
Washington,  by  the  skillful  and  excessive  use  of 
"red  tape,"  successfully  paralyzed  many  of  the 
movements  he  undertook  to  make.  The  victories  of 
the  past  century  have  been  won  by  commanding 
generals  in  the  field,  not  by  those  cooped  up  within 
the  walls  of  a  war  department  scores  of  miles  from 
the  fields  of  battle. 

Second.  For  the  first  two  years  the  civil  war  on 
the  Union  side  was  largely  an  experiment ;  we  were 
learning  how  to  fight,  and  the  information  thus  gained, 
the  wisdom  thus  dearly  earned,  had  much  to  do  in 
molding  the  successes  of  the  last  two  years  of  the 
war. 

Third.  The  most  ardent  admirers  of  General  Mc- 
Clellan  cannot  deny  the  fact  that  he  lacked  many 
elements  of  character  essential  to  success,  even  under 
the  most  favorable  circumstances.  His  bravery  and 
loyalty  are  not  to  be  questioned  for  a  moment ;  his 
skill  as  an  organizer  and  as  a  civil  engineer  is  admit 
ted  ;  but  that  he  was  conservative,  fault-finding,  un 
decided,  hesitating,  and  fatally  slow,  must  also  be 
confessed.  He  lacked  the  determined  zeal  and  resist 
less  energy  that  a  great  leader  must  always  possess* 
The  great  mistake  of  his  life — the  one  his  old  soldiers 
can  never  forget — was  that,  when  they  were  fighting 
in  the  trenches  to  preserve  the  life  of  the  nation,  he 
turned  his  back  upon  them,  by  accepting  the  presi 
dential  nomination  of  a  party  whose  platform  de 
clared  the  war  a  failure.  But,  notwithstanding  that, 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAR.  331 

so  long  as  there  are  survivors  of  the  old  army  of  the 
Potomac,  so  long  will  Little  Mac  be  kindly  remem 
bered. 

AMBROSE   E.    BURNSIDE 

Possessed  certain  elements  of  character  that  have 
made  him  the  target,  for  many  years,  of  those  who  see 
no  beauty  in  such  qualifications.  He  was  a  very 
modest,  unassuming  man, — one  who  never  pressed 
his  own  interests  or  boasted  of  a  superior  greatness. 
Promotion  came  to  him  unsought,  and  at  times,  if  his 
own  preferences  had  been  followed,  honors  would  not 
have  been  accepted.  He  always  assumed  the  disgrace 
of  his  own  failures.  When,  after  consultation  with  his 
brother  officers,  a  movement  was  made  which  ended 
in  a  disastrous  defeat,  he  did  not  attempt  to  make  a 
scapegoat  of  some  subordinate  officer,  but  had  the 
rare  manliness  to  declare :  "  I  alone  am  responsible 
for  the  failure."  As  an  individual,  he  was  noble, 
generous,  brave  and  beloved.  As  a  corps  commander, 
he  was  effective  and  successful.  At  Antietam  it  was 
the  desperate  charge  of  his  corps  at  the  Stone  Bridge, 
that  turned  the  tide  of  battle,  and  thrilled  the  nation 
with  the  bravery  of  our  troops.  As  a  commander 
of  the  army,  he  was  not  alone  responsible  for  the 
disastrous  failure.  Fredericksburgh  came  immediately 
after  Antietam.  The  assault  made  upon  St.  Mary's 
Heights,  at  the  former,  was  not  more  desperate  than 
that  made  across  the  Stone  Bridge,  at  the  latter ;  it 
was  simply  on  a  larger  scale.  The  success  of  either 
must  be  decided  by  the  fortunes  of  war.  One  was  a 
brilliant  success,  the  other  a  sorrowful  defeat.  The 


332  REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    WAR. 

country  that  honored  him  for  the  desperate  chances 
taken  at  Aiitietam,  must  not  crucify  him  for  taking 
the  same  chances  at  Fredericksburgh.  From  a  pri 
vate's  point  of  observation  I  remember  him  as  a 
noble,  dignified  officer,  brave,  kind,  and  sagacious, 
but  a  victim  to  a  threefold  power  that  would  crush 
any  man. 

First.  He  was  promoted,  against  his  own  wishes, 
to  a  position  he  knew  he  was  not  capable  of  filling. 

Second.  Circumstances  which  he  could  not  con 
trol  seemed  to  be  all  combined  against  him. 

Third.  His  subordinate  officers  refused  to  give 
him  their  warm,  cordial  support,  without  which  no 
commander  can  hope  to  succeed. 

The  rank  and  file  of  the  army  knew  him  well,  and 
his  form  was  familiar  to  every  common  soldier.  We 
knew  of  his  kindness,  his  generous  nature,  his 
bravery,  and  his  ability.  The  survivors  of  that 
old  army  will  denounce  any  attempt  to  assassin 
ate  the  memory  of  their  beloved  commander,  since 
his  eloquent  voice  can  no  longer  speak  in  his  own 
defense. 

JOSEPH   HOOKER. 

At  the  mention  of  this  name  we  seem  to  see  the 
old  veteran  once  more, — not  the  helpless  paralytic 
that  he  was  the  last  few  years  of  his  life,  made  such 
by  the  injuries  received  at  Chancellorsville, — not 
the  vain,  shallow,  boastful  man  in  a  gilt  uniform  that 
his  critics  would  make  us  believe, — but  the  brave, 
dashing,  brilliant  leader,  one  who  could  plan  as 
wisely  and  battle  as  bravely  as  the  most  eminent  of 


KEMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  333 

those  who  criticise  him.  Tall,  erect,  commanding  in 
appearance,  he  was  one  of  the  most  brilliant  com 
manders  upon  the  Potomac.  As  a  subordinate  offi 
cer  he  was  perhaps  proud,  ambitious,  and  disposed  to 
have  his  own  way ;  but  all  that  was  overshadowed 
by  his  skillful  management  of  troops,  and  by  his  heroic 
bravery.  As  a  commander  of  the  army  of  the  Poto 
mac,  he  was  its  most  skillful  organizer,  and  its  most 
rigid  disciplinarian.  All  admit  that  the  battle  of 
Chancellorsville  was  as  wisely  planned  as  any  battle 
of  the  war ;  but  it  ended  in  defeat,  and  there  is  a 
disposition  on  the  part  of  some  to  place  the  responsi 
bility  of  that  defeat  upon  General  Hooker.  It  is  a 
very  easy  task  to  sit  in  an  elegantly  furnished  room, 
fight  battles,  and  decide  the  fortunes  of  war,  twenty 
years  after  the  struggle  has  ceased.  A  few  strokes 
of  a  gifted  but  prejudiced  pen  measures  the  com 
manding  general's  ability,  and  decides  the  place  he 
must  fill  in  history.  I  have  no  fault  to  find  with 
those  who  are  striving  to  give  the  American  people 
an  impartial  history  of  the  civil  war,  even  though  it 
censures  the  officers  we  learned  to  love.  But  of  the 
critic  who  condemns  General  Hooker  for  not  bring 
ing  all  his  troops  into  action  before  he  retreated 
across  the  river,  I  only  ask,  as  he  writes  his  lines  of 
condemnation,  to  remember  that  Hooker  was  a 
wounded  and  disabled  soldier  hours  before  that  re 
treat  was  made.  He  sustained  injuries  from  that 
cannon-shot  at  the  Chancellorsville  House,  from 
which  he  never  recovered,  and  therefore,  for  confu 
sion,  delay,  and  subsequent  mismanagement,  if  there 
was  any,  he  was  not  responsible.  He  retained  the 


334  REMINISCENCES    OF   THE  WAR. 

command  for  hours  after  the  injury  was  received, 
but  it  was  not  Joe  Hooker,  with  his  keen  sagacity 
and  unerring  skill,  but  a  stunned,  bewildered  and 
disabled  man.  In  relation  to  the  battle  of  Chancel- 
lorsville,  the  causes  of  our  defeat,  Hooker's  subse 
quent  resignation,  and  the  criticisms  upon  his  con 
duct,  the  Congressional  committee  upon  the  conduct 
of  the  war,  of  which  Hon.  B.  F.  Wade  of  Ohio  was 
chairman,  after  carefully  reviewing  all  the  testimony 
in  the  case,  utter  the  following  significant  words : 

"  It  would  appear  that  there  were  three,  perhaps 
four,  reasons  which  contributed  to  render  this  cam 
paign  unsuccessful,  after  it  had  been  so  successfully 
begun,  viz.: — the  stampede  of  the  Eleventh  corps, 
the  injury  received  by  General  Hooker  at  the  Chan- 
cellorsville  House,  the  failure  of  General  Sedgwick 
to  carry  out  the  orders  he  had  received  from  the 
commanding  general,  and  the  entire  failure  of  General 
Stoneman  to  carry  out  his  part  of  the  programme. 

"Your  committee  would  observe  that  they  con 
sider  it  to  have  been  extremely  unfortunate  that 
General  Hooker  was  not  permitted  to  have  the  use 
of  such  troops  as  he  deemed  necessary  to  carry  out 
his  plans  for  destroying  the  rebel  army.  That  these 
troops  were  disposable,  is  shown  from  the  fact  that 
his  successor  was  immediately  authorized  to  use 
them.  Nor  can  the  committee  doubt  that,  had  Gen 
eral  Hooker  been  clothed  with  the  power  immedi 
ately  conferred  upon  his  successor,  the  result  of  the 
campaign  might  have  been  far  more  decisive  than 
it  was." 

As  to  the  charges  of  his  being  intoxicated  on  the 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAB.  335 

battle-field,  the  following  items  from  the  same  report 
are  interesting  reading : 

"  Your  committee  have  examined  such  officers,  as 
from  their  position  and  opportunities  would  be  pre 
sumed  to  have  the  most  accurate  knowledge  upon 
the  subject,  and  all,  without  exception,  have  testified 
that  the  charge  was  entirely  unfounded.  This  ex 
amination  would  not  have  been  pressed  further,  but 
for  one  fact.  There  had  appeared,  in  the  public 
press  of  England,  and  also  in  leading  journals  in 
this  country,  what  purported  to  be  a  statement  of 
some  remarks  made  by  Rev.  Henry  Ward  Beecher, 
on  July  5,  1863,  at  a  breakfast  given  by  the  Na 
tional  Temperance  League  in  England.  The  New 
York  Independent  copied  that  statement  from  an  En 
glish  paper,  the  Alliance,  with  editorial  comments. 
The  extract  is  as  follows : 

"  If  it  were  fit,  he  [Mr.  Beecher]  could  name  sev 
eral  great  misfortunes  which  had  befallen  the  North 
on  the  field,  owing  entirely  to  the  drunkenness  of 
officers.  The  battle  of  Chancellorsville  was  lost 
from  this  cause ;  but  he  heard  it  from  almost  direct 
authority,  that  the  general  thus  implicated,  knowing 
his  weakness,  had  been  previously  abstaining,  but 
that  having  received  a  severe  contusion,  he  had  been 
prescribed  whisky  medicinally,  and  it  was  taking  it 
for  that  purpose,  that  the  old  appetite  had  been  re 
vived,  and  overcame  him."  The  Independent  com 
mented  as  follows: 

"  Mr.  Beecher  stated  this  as  a  private  communica 
tion,  but  the  case  of  intemperance  referred  to  is  no 


336  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR. 

secret  here.  That  General  Hooker  was  drunk,  and 
thereby  lost  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  has  been 
published  wherever  the  English  language  is  read. 
And  it  is  due  to  the  inculpated  general  that  the  ex 
planation  made  by  Mr.  Beecher  should  be  made 
known." 

On  the  eighteenth  of  March,  1864,  the  chairman  of 
the  committee  was  instructed  to  address  a  communi 
cation  to  Mr.  Beecher,  asking  him  for  his  authority 
for  the  grave  charges  thus  made,  and  the  names  of 
reliable  witnesses  to  substantiate  the  same.  On  the 
fourth  of  April  following,  no  answer  having  been  re 
ceived  from  Mr.  Beecher,  a  second  communication 
of  the  same  character  was  addressed  to  him,  and  on 
the  sixth  of  the  same  month  Mr.  Beecher  forwarded 
the  committee  this  somewhat  remarkable  answer : 

BROOKLYN,  April  6,  1864. 

Dear  Sir :  —  I  did  not  make  any  public  remarks 
about  General  Hooker,  while  in  England.  At  a  tem 
perance  breakfast  strictly  confidential,  and  pledged 
to  make  no  report  of  proceedings,  I  alluded  to  Hook 
er's  condition.  My  remarks  were  published  in  vio 
lation  of  confidence.  As  to  my  evidence,  it  was  such 
as  to  produce  moral  conviction,  but  not  to  establish 
the  fact  legally,  that  during  the  last  part  of  the  battle 
of  Chancellorsville,  Hooker  was  under  the  influence 
of  liquor.  I  do  not  feel  at  liberty  to  mention  my  in 
formant,  until  I  see  him  and  get  his  permission. 
I  am  very  truly  yours, 

H.  W.  BEECHER. 

I  think  that  the   committee,  after  receiving  this 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  337 

statement  as  the  only  excuse  or  proof  for  uttering 
and  printing  such  baseless  charges,  commented  in  a 
very  mild  manner,  when  they  say :  "  Your  committee 
regret  to  state  that,  although  Mr.  Beecher's  attention 
was  twice  called  to  the  subject,  and  he  was  explicitly 
asked  each  time  to  give  his  authority,  with  the  names 
of  reliable  witnesses  to  substantiate  the  charge  he 
had  circulated,  he  has  made  no  reply  to  them  but 
the  one  above  quoted." 

In  closing  this  sketch,  I  would  say  to  the  literary 
vultures  who  are  endeavoring  to  destroy  the  charac 
ter  and  fame  of  the  gallant  dead,  the  old  soldiers 
around  you  are  not  disinterested  spectators  of  events 
now  transpiring,  and  I  know  they  will  join  with  me 
in  saying,  sleep  on,  brave  old  commander !  your 
fame  was  recorded  with  the  point  of  your  own  good 
sword,  and  it  will  require  more  than  the  false  slanders 
of  your  foes,  or  the  pen  of  a  prejudiced  critic  and 
historian  to  tarnish  it. 

OLIVER   O.    HOWARD. 

No  officer  in  the  United  States  army  has  been 
more  severely  censured  than  General  Howard.  His 
courage,  ability  and  character  have  all  been  repeat 
edly  assailed.  Many  investigations  have  been  held 
with  reference  to  the  charges  made  against  him, 
but,  thus  far,  the  only  fact  that  has  been  proved 
against  him  is,  "That  he  is  a  Christian."  The  read 
ers  of  the  last  volume  of  the  "  Campaigns  of  the 
Civil  War,"  written  by  General  Doubleday,  and  just 
issued  from  the  press  cf  Charles  Scribiier's  Sons,  will 
not  be  surprised  to  find  the  religious  element  in  Gen- 
lo 


338  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR. 

eral  Howard's  character  sneered  at  wherever  it  can 
be  done.  It  may  not  be  for  me  to  say  whether  all 
this  abuse  arises  because  the  United  States  army  is 
not  the  proper  place  for  a  Christian  gentleman,  or 
whether  the  moral  tastes  of  his  accusers  render 
them  incapable  of  appreciating  the  virtues  of  a 
Christian  character.  But  as  to  the  first,  I  do  not 
believe  that  the  English  army  was  ever  disgraced  by 
the  prayerful  devotion  of  the  saintly  Havelock,  and 
I  do  not  think  the  United  States  army  will  ever  be 
disgraced  by  such  Christian  character  as  that  of 
General  Howard.  But  leaving  him  to  reply  to 
his"  own  critics,  I  must  only  speak  of  him  as  he 
was  seen  by  a  private  soldier, — a  quiet,  unassuming, 
and  yet  a  noble  and  dignified  officer,  having  a 
genial  countenance,  pale,  but  very  expressive,  an 
eye  that  could  flash  as  brightly  as  the  gleam  of  bat 
tle,  or  beam  with  the  tenderness  of  a  woman. 

The  empty  sleeve  pinned  to  his  shoulder  tells  of 
devotion  and  sufferings  for  his  country's  life.  When 
we  looked  at  him,  it  always  reminded  us  of  friends 
at  home.  As  an  individual  he  was  kind,  generous 
and  sympathetic  ;  as  an  officer  he  was  beloved  by  his 
men,  was  cool,  skillful  and  successful.  Except 
by  some  of  the  German  troops  in  the  Eleventh 
corps,  his  skill  and  ability  was  never  doubted.  He 
was  a  man  among  men.  I  once  sat  on  the  picket 
line,  at  the  Rappahannock,  with  a  large  squad  of  sol 
diers  who  were  members  of  different  regiments,  and 
hailed  from  different  states,  while  General  Howard 
was  being  discussed.  Some  of  the  soldiers,  with 
much  profanity,  were  abusing  him.  After  many  re- 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  339 

marks  had  been  made,  one  man,  a  tall,  muscular  fel 
low,  hailing  from  Ohio,  spoke :  "  Boys,  I  will  tell 
you  what  I  know  of  General  Howard.  Just  before 
Chancellorsville,  my  only  brother,  a  mere  boy,  was 
sick  and  dying;  we  were  together  in  a  little  tent; 
Jimmy  knew  that  he  must  soon  be  mustered  out. 
One  dark,  stormy  night,  I  sat  down  by  his  side, 
and  took  hold  of  his  thin  hands,  while  he  talked  of 
home ;  he  sent  little  messages  of  love  to  the  old 
folks  and  the  girls,  gave  me  some  good  advice,  but 
I  saw  he  was  uneasy  like ;  something  seemed  to 
trouble  him.  After  a  while  he  told  me  he  was  sort 
of  uneasy  about  the  future  ;  he  kind  of  thought 
there  was  to  be  a  general  inspection  over  there,  and 
he  was  not  ready  for  it ;  he  wanted  some  one  to  pray 
for  him.  I  never  took  much  stock  in  those  things, 
but  he  looked  so  pitiful  like,  I  made  up  my  mind  that 
I  would  find  some  one  to  help  the  poor  fellow  to  pre 
pare  for  the  future,  and  so  through  the  rain  and 
mud  I  ran ;  it  was  awful  dark,  but  I  soon  found 
the  chaplain's  tent,  but  he  was  sick,  and  not  able 
to  go  out.  What  to  do  I  didn't  know ;  I  never 
could  go  back  to  the  poor  boy  alone.  I  happened  to 
think  of  Howard;  I  had  heard  the  officers  laugh 
about  his  prayers ;  and  so,  without  stopping  to  think 
what  I  was  doing,  I  ran  across  the  field,  half  a  mile, 
to  his  headquarters.  The  guard  had  been  removed, 
and  I  knocked  at  the  door  of  the  General's  tent. 
When  he  came,  I  blurted  out  my  errand.  He  caught 
up  his  hat,  and  hurried  with  me  to  my  tent.  Poor 
Jimmy  was  very  low,  and  breathing  hard,  but  he 
knew  me ;  and  when  I  told  him  who  the  General  was, 


340  REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR. 

his  pale  cheeks  flushed  with  joy.  Howard  got  down 
by  the  poor  boy's  side,  and  how  he  prayed !  My 
own  eyes  were  so  dim  that  I  could  not  see  much,  for 
a  few  moments  .  when  1  did  look,  Jimmy  had  passed 
away.  He  had  one  hand  on  the  General's  shoulder, 
and  there  was  a  sweet  smile  on  his  face.  Howard 
spoke  lots  of  encouraging  words  to  me,  before  he 
left,  and  when  Jimmy  was  buried,  he  came  down  to 
the  grave,  spoke  a  few  words  of  sympathy,  and  kindly 
shook  my  hand.  Now,  boys,  you  had  better  change 
the  subject."  It  is  needless  for  me  to  write  that 
there  was  no  more  abuse  of  General  Howard  on  that 
picket  post. 

JOHN    SEDGWICK. 

No  corps  commander  in  the  army  of  the  Potomac 
was  more  dearly  beloved  by  his  men  than  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  who  was  known  among  them  as 
"  Uncle  John."  His  history  is  an  unbroken  record 
of  faithful  and  gallant  service  rendered  to  the  Gov 
ernment.  He  was  a  man  that  looked  to  be  fifty  years 
old,  broad-shouldered,  heavy-framed,  with  a  full, 
brown,  tangled  beard.  When  in  camp  he  alwa}rs 
manifested  much  interest  in  his  men,  and  was  careful 
to  do  all  in  his  power  to  add  to  their  convenience 
and  comfort.  He  was  a  plain,  common-sense,  prac 
tical  man,  who  despised  all  appearance  of  "red  tape." 
When  on  the  march,  had  it  not  been  for  his  military 
surroundings,  he  would  have  been  mistaken  for  a 
rough  backwoodsman,  wearing,  as  he  did,  an  old 
slouched  black  hat,  a  loose-fitting  blouse,  blue  pants, 
a  woolen  shirt  of  a  reddish  color,  muddy  boots,  and 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAK.  341 

having  a  general  appearance  of  untidiness  that  you 
would  hardly  expect  to  see  in  a  corps  commander. 
And  yet  under  his  kind  training  and  skillful  leader 
ship,  the  gallant  Sixth  corps  reached  a  degree  of 
discipline  that  made  it  one  of  the  most  brilliant 
corps  of  the  whole  army.  He  was  a  kind,  'brave, 
generous  officer.  There  was  little  danger  of  any 
disaster  to  our  arms,  when  General  Sedgwick,  with 
the  Sixth  corps,  was  at  the  front.  The  men  all 
loved  him,  and  had  the  fullest  confidence  in  his 
ability.  When  he  rode  along  the  lines,  they  always 
cheered  until  he  passed  from  their  view.  His  death 
at  Spottsylvania  was  a  national  calamity,  and  cast  a 
deep  gloom  over  the  whole  army. 

WINFIELD   S.   HANCOCK. 

Two  years  have  passed  since  our  last  presidential 
campaign  made  this  name  so  familiar  to  the  Ameri 
can  people.  We  will  not  speak  of  him  as  a  candidate 
for  the  presidency  of  the  United  States,  but  as  the 
clean  cut,  neatly  clad,  soldierly  commander  of  the 
Second  army  corps.  It  does  no  injustice  to  other 
generals  to  say  that  no  corps  commander  in  the  army 
was  regarded  by  his  men  as  the  equal  of  W.  S.  Han 
cock.  His  troops  were  always  prepared  for  a  fight, 
and  he  usually  fought  to  win.  His  military  history 
was  brilliant  and  successful.  No  man  rendered  more 
faithful  service  than  he,  and  if  he  had  been  elected 
president  of  the  United  States,  he  would  undoubtedly 
have  honored  the  country  that  had  thus  honored  him. 
In  the  days  of  the  civil  war,  he  was  tall  and  erect, — 
a  soldier  in  every  respect.  His  men  had  such  confi- 


342  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

dence  in  him  that  they  would  follow  him  wherever 
he  led  the  way.  The  survivors  of  his  old  corps  will 
bear  testimony,  with  me,  that  whoever  followed  Han 
cock  through  a  battle  would  at  least  encounter  all 
the  dangers  that  the  battle  afforded.  Many  harsh 
and  unjust  things  have  been  said  about  him,  when 
our  blood  was  stirred  with  passions,  but  so  long  as 
the  nation  remembers  Gettysburgh  as  the  turning- 
point  of  the  war,  we  must  not  forget  that,  to  General 
Hancock,  as  much  as  to  any  other  man,  are  we  in 
debted  for  that  great  victory.  Howard  and  Han 
cock  were  the  men  who  selected  the  position  for 
our  lines  of  battle, — a  position  saved  to  our  country 
by  the  bravery  and  blood  of  the  gallant  Reynolds 
with  his  First  corps.  -We  must  also  remember  that 
the  brilliant  and  successful  charge  of  Hancock,  at 
Spottsylvania,  was  the  brightest  page  in  all  that 
campaign  from  the  Rapidan  to  the  James.  All  the 
old  soldiers,  and  especially  those  of  the  Second  corps, 
earnestly  hope  that  the  regular  army  may  long  bear 
on  its  rolls  the*  honored  name  of  General  W.  S. 
Hancock. 

GOUVERNEUR   K.    WARREN. 

This  skillful  engineer,  brilliant  soldier,  and  success 
ful  general  was  in  command  of  the  Fifth  corps,  from 
the  opening  of  the  Wilderness  campaign,  until  the 
first  of  the  following  April.  Previous  to  that  he 
had  been  in  command  of  the  Second  corps,  and  also 
chief  engineer  of  the  army  of  the  Potomac.  He  was 
a  slight-built  man,  thin,  wiry,  and  nervous,  but  pos 
sessing  great  powers  of  endurance ;  he  had  a  dark, 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  343 

swarthy  complexion,  straight  black  hair,  Grecian 
features,  and  large  expressive  eyes  that  could  beam 
in  tenderness  or  flash  with  the  wild  light  of  conflict. 
His  uniform  of  dark  blue  neatly  fitted  his  fine  form. 
In  company  with  any  party  of  men,  he  would  always 
be  selected  as  a  person  of  superior  ability.  He  was 
quiet  and  retiring  in  his  manner,  but  his  men  all 
loved  him,  and  had  great  faith  in  his  ability.  He  was 
reckless  and  daring  to  a  fault,  sparing  himself  neither 
exposure  or  fatigue.  No  sacrifice  was  too  great  for 
him  to  make,  no  danger  too  great  for  him  to  face,  if 
it  would  only  bring  success  to  the  Union  cause.  He 
was  a  successful  general,  and  won  a  reputation  as 
a  soldier  of  which  any  man  might  be  proud.  We 
always  regarded  the  act  of  General  Sheridan  in  re 
moving  him  from  the  command  of  our  corps,  at  the 
battle  of  Five  Forks,  as  a  serious  mistake,  and  one 
that  should  have  been  righted  long  before  this  date. 
Warren  had  encountered  dangers,  and  had  fought 
bravely  and  with  success,  through  the  war.  Five 
Forks  was  the  decisive  battle  that  closed  it.  Warren 
had  done  all  that  a  man  could  do  in  getting  his  corps 
into  the  battle.  We  had  fought  like  heroes,  and  had 
captured  the  enemy  that  had  driven  Sheridan  and  his 
cavalry  from  the  field.  Sheridan,  brave,  rash,  impul 
sive,  excited  as  a  madman  by  the  bloody  victory  we 
had  gained,  received  an  impression  that  Warren  had 
not  done  enough,  and  ordered  General  Griffin  to  re 
lieve  him  of  his  command  upon  the  field  of  victory,  in 
the  midst  of  the  thousands  of  prisoners  he  had  cap 
tured.  Before  Griffin  could  reach  the  side  of  General 
Warren,  to  assume  the  command,  Warren  had  stormed 


344  BEMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAE. 

the  last  position  of  the  foe,  leading  a  column  of  troops 
across  an  open  field,  under  a  deadly  fire,  with  his  corps 
flag  in  his  hand, — a  feat  of  reckless  and  gallant 
bravery  which  would  have  honored  General  Sheridan 
himself.  We  can  forgive  Sheridan  for  the  injustice 
of  an  act  performed  in  a  moment  of  excitement,  but 
to  persist  in  it  for  seventeen  long  years,  preferring  to 
crush  a  brother  officer  rather  than  acknowledge  an 
error  he  had  committed,  is  not  an  honorable  course 
for  a  brave  man  to  pursue.  The  old  Fifth  corps  will 
stand  by  their  commander,  and  whether  he  receives 
tardy  justice  or  not,  he  has  the  sympathy  and  love  of 
the  men  he  once  led  to  battle. 

JOHN   F.   REYNOLDS 

Was  a  tall,  thin,  fine  looking  officer,  who,  for  many 
months,  was  in  command  of  the  First  corps.  He 
possessed  the  confidence  of  all  who  knew  him.  Wise 
in  council,  skillful  in  the  execution  of  a  movement, 
fearless  as  a  lion  in  battle,  he  was  a  leader  whom  the 
men  loved  to  follow  to  battle.  The  Government 
had  great  confidence  in  him,  and  had  it  not  been  for 
his  untimely  death,  he  would  undoubtedly  have  been 
promoted  to  a  larger  field  of  usefulness.  He  was  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  was  born  in  1820,  not  far 
from  the  spot  where  he  fell  in  death,  in  1863.  In  his 
zeal  to  hurl  the  enemy  from  the  soil  of  his  native 
state,  he  led  his  men  against  fearful  odds,  and  fell  in 
the  advanced  lines,  at  an  early  hour  on  the  first  day 
of  the  great  battle  of  Gettysburgh.  His  death  was 
deeply  mourned  by  the  whole  army ;  and^the  State, 
whose  soil  was  moistened  with  his  life's  blood,  points 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR.  345 

with  much  pride  to  the  military  record  of  this  gallant 
son.  A  beautiful  monument  has  been  erected  to  his 
memory,  in  the  National  Cemetery  at  Gettysburgh. 

DANIEL   E.    SICKLES. 

The  form  of  this  officer  was  at  one  time  familiar  in 
the  army  of  the  Potomac.  He  was  a  short,  thick-set 
man,  of  heavy  build,  broad  shoulders,  large  head,  and 
full,  round  face,  the  mustache  and  goatee  that  he  usu 
ally  wore  giving  him  a  military  appearance.  He  was 
a  brave  officer,  whose  courage  no  one  disputed,  but 
we  thought  he  lacked  in  judgment,  and  that  the 
disposition  of  his  troops  when  preparing  for  battle 
was  not  always  fortunate.  At  Chancellorsville  and 
Gettysburgh  he  greatly  distinguished  himself,  the 
Third  corps  doing  grand  service  on  both  occasions. 
At  the  last  named  battle  he  lost  a  leg,  and  so  the  army 
lost  one  of  its  most  fearless  leaders.  The  last  time  I 
saw  him  was  in  the  autumn  of  1863 ;  he  was  then 
walking  with  crutches,  but  received  a  most  enthu 
siastic  reception  from  the  hundreds  of  old  soldiers 
who  gathered  around  him. 

CHARLES    GRIFFIN 

Was  the  popular  and  brilliant  commander  of  the 
First  division  of  the  Fifth  corps,  until  the  removal  of 
General  Warren,  when  he  assumed  command  of  the 
corps.  No  officer  in  the  army  could  have  been  more 
dearly  beloved  by  his  men  than  was  General  Griffin. 
At  one  time  he  was  absent  from  us  for  several 
weeks,  on  account  of  sickness  ;  on  his  return,  when 
he  met  his  old  division,  the  men  rushed  from  the 
*15 


846  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

ranks,  and  pressed  around  him  by  hundreds,  and 
actually  removed  him  from  his  horse  and  carried  him 
for  several  rods  upon  their  shoulders.  With  tearful 
eyes  he  exclaimed,  "  Boys,  1  will  never  leave  you 
again."  He  was  a  tall,  slim,  well-built  man,  and  rode 
very  erect,  with  his  head  well  thrown  back,  and 
with  his  long,  sharp  chin  well  advanced  to  the  front. 
His  uniform  was  always  neat  and  well  fitted  to  his 
form ;  he  usually  wore  a  soldier's  cap  upon  his  head ; 
his  face  was  shaved  smooth,  while  his  lip  was  adorned 
with  a  heavy  mustache.  General  Griffin  was  one  cf 
the  finest  looking  officers  in  the  army.  Always  kind, 
pleasant  and  cheerful,  his  presence  even  in  defeat 
always  seemed  like  a  sunbeam.  He  was  as  fearless 
as  a  tiger,  and  would  lead  his  division  any  where.  He 
had  formerly  been  an  artillery  officer,  and  consequently 
had  great  faith  in  that  branch  of  the  service,  and 
would  run  his  batteries  out  any  where  on  the  skirmish 
lines,  if  by  so  doing  he  could  get  the  enemy  under  fire. 
When  "  Old  Griff  "  was  in  command,  we  did  not  care 
much  where  we  were  ordered  to  go.  The  last  time 
that  we  ever  saw  him,  was  when  our  regiment  was 
marching  from  Arlington  Heights  to  Washington, 
where  we  were  to  take  the  cars  for  Maine ;  we  met 
him  as  he  was  riding  from  the  city,  and  gave  him  three 
rousing  cheers,  he  taking  off  his  hat  and  sitting  with 
uncovered  head  until  we  had  passed.  We  all  mourned 
when  his  death  was  announced,  several  years  after  the 
close  of  the  war.  He  died  of  yellow  fever,  in  Texas. 
There  were  but  few  officers  in  the  Union  army  more 
worthy  of  praise  than  was  General  Charles  Griffin. 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR.  347 

JOSHUA  L.    CHAMBERLAIN. 

This  officer,  so  intimately  connected  with  our  regi 
ment  and  State,  requires  no  introduction  to  the 
people  of  Maine.  We  saw  much  of  him  during  the 
three  years  we  were  in  the  army,  but  we  always 
saw  him  the  same  kind-hearted  gentleman  that  he  had 
been  before  he  entered  the  service.  Rapid  promo 
tions  and  the  many  honors  he  received  did  not  change 
him  in  the  least  degree.  A  brave,  brilliant,  dashing 
officer,  one  whom  we  were  always  proud  to  point 
out  as  a  soldier  from  Maine.  There  were  but  few 
officers  who  displayed  greater  bravery,  faced  more 
dangers,  and  shed  their  blood  on  more  battle-fields 
than  did  General  J.  L.  Chamberlain.  His  history  is 
as  brilliant  as  that  of  any  officer  who  entered  the 
army  from  New  England.  Tall,  slim,  erect,  he  was 
an  officer  who,  when  once  seen,  was  always  remem 
bered. 

But  this  little  group  of  Union  officers,  whose  once 
familiar  features  are  here  so  imperfectly  sketched, 
would  be  incomplete,  if  I  did  not  add  two  other 
generals,  who  by  their  brilliant  daring  became  the 
favorites  of  the  army  and  the  nation.  The  first  one  is 

PHILLIP   H.    SHERIDAN 

Who  was  the  great  cavalry  commander, — brave, 
brilliant,  energetic,  competent,  desperate.  It  seemed 
that  all  the  necessary  elements  of  success  were  com 
bined  in  this  wonderful  man.  In  a  previous  chapter 
I  attempted  to  describe  his  personal  appearance.  He 
always  fought  to  win,  and  on  the  battle-field  seemed 
transformed  to  a  demon,  whose  only  demand  was  for 


348  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

more  blood.  He  bore  a  charmed  life,  riding  fear 
lessly  into  the  thickest  of  the  conflict,  where  his  men 
were  falling  by  hundreds.  When  in  pursuit  of  a  re 
treating  foe  he  was  as  remorseless  as  fate  itself,  al 
ways  pressing  them  hard.  On  those  great  raids 
through  the  enemy's  country,  he  sent  terror  to  the 
heart  of  the  foe,  by  the  enormous  quantities  of  prop 
erty  he  destroyed,  so  that  I  think  that  the  last  Yankee 
soldier  to  be  forgiven  by  the  Southern  chivalry  for 
the  imagined  wrongs  they  suffered  from  our  hands, 
will,  undoubtedly,  be  Phil.  Sheridan.  He  possessed  a 
wonderful  magnetic  influence  over  his  men,  and  they 
would  undertake  any  enterprise  if  he  ordered  it.  I 
once  heard  a  veteran  officer  remark,  as  he  saw  them 
follow  Sheridan  in  one  of  those  desperate  charges 
upon  the  enemy's  lines,  "  Those  fellows  would  follow 
Sheridan  if  he  rode  through  the  gates  of  hell."  His 
exploit  at  Cedar  Creek,  where  he  arrived  from  Win 
chester,  reorganizing  his  army  on  the  field  of  battle, 
and  changing  a  disastrous  defeat  to  a  decisive  victory, 
stands  without  a  parallel  in  the  military  campaigns 
of  the  past  century.  Long  may  he  live  and  enjoy 
the  fruits  of  his  bravery  ! 

GEORGE   A.    CUSTER. 

How  vividly  we  all  remember  that  slim,  boyish 
figure,  the  long  flowing  locks  of  golden  hair,  and  the 
blue  uniform  profusely  decorated  with  gold  lace ! 
He  was  a  mere  j^outh,  having  graduated  at  West 
Point  in  1861,  when  twenty-one  years  old.  What  a 
brave  fellow  he  was,  and  how  fearlessly  he  would 
lead  his  cavalry  upon  the  enemy  !  He  was  reckless  to 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAR.  349 

a  fault,  and  yet  he  passed  through  all  those  baptisms 
of  fire  unharmed.  Idolized  by  his  men,  his  character 
and  history  are  as  romantic  as  romance  itself.  How 
strange  that  a  man  should  pass  through  all  those 
dangers,  only  to  die,  as  he  did,  far  out  upon  the  West 
ern  frontier !  I  shall  never  forget  how  heavy  my 
heart  was,  when  I  read  the  telegrams  that  our  gallant 
Custer  had  fallen  on  that  memorable  battle-field  far 
out  on  the  Rose  Bud  river.  He  did  not  die  amid  the 
booming  artillery  and  wild  cheers  of  his  men, — 
sounds  with  which  he  was  once  so  familiar, —  but 
amid  the  wild  savage  whoops  of  his  uncivilized  foes, 
as  his  brave  men  went  down  in  bloody  death.  The 
name  of  Custer  will  always  be  an  inspiration  in  the 
army,  and  his  successful  career  will  be  a  worthy  ex 
ample  for  young  soldiers  to  imitate. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

A   EEV1EW. 

IT  is  fitting  that  one  chapter  in  this  volume  should 
be  devoted  to  a  review  of  the  record  that  our  soldiers 
made  through  those  eventful  years  of  the  war.  This 
is  of  special  importance,  as  we  are  living  in  an  age 
that  is  concentrating  its  thoughts  and  energies  in 
the  present  and  the  future,  and  is  too  rapidly  for 
getting  the  events  of  the  past,  while,  consequently, 
the  rising  generation  is  but  very  imperfectly  in 
formed  as  to  the  great  events  of  the  civil  war,  of  the 
situation  in  which  the  government  was  placed  at 
its  outbreak,  and  the  sacrifices  that  were  made  to 
preserve  its  life. 

THE  NATION'S  PEKIL. 

Twenty-one  years  have  passed  since  the  country 
was  aroused  from  the  security  of  peace,  to  face  the 
stern  realities  of  war.  It  is  a  most  difficult  task  to 
describe  the  perilous  situation  of  the  country  at  that 
time.  Our  gallant  little  army  was  divided  into  frag 
ments,  and  stationed  in  the  United  States  forts 
within  the  southern  states,  where  they  could  be 
easily  overpowered  by  the  Confederate  forces  ;  our 
arms  and  munitions  of  war  were  also  deposited 
within  the  southern  territory,  where  they  would  easily 
become  the  prize  of  the  traitors ;  our  navy  was  scat- 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    WAR.  851 

tered  on  distant  seas  ;  there  was  no  money  in  our 
treasury,  and  we  had  little  credit  at  home  or  abroad. 
It  was  a  most  perilous  hour  in  the  history  of  the 
country,  when  Abraham  Lincoln,  America's  fore 
most  son,  stepped  from  his  western  home,  and  placed 
his  honest  hand  upon  the  helm  of  our  ship  of  state. 
We  had  the  utmost  confidence  in  his  integrity,  but 
was  it  not  then  too  late  to  prevent  the  destruction  of 
the  Republic  ?  A  number  of  states  had  already  se 
ceded  ;  great  armies  had  been  marshaled ;  a  hostile 
Confederacy  had  been  organized  ;  treason  walked  in 
defiance  along  the  streets  of  Washington,  and  ut 
tered  its  voice  fearlessly  upon  the  floors  of  Congress, 
and  loyal  men  hardly  dared  to  hope ;  the  storm  that 
had  been  gathering  for  a  long  period  of  years  had 
burst  upon  us  in  all  its  fury ;  the  clouds  came  swirl 
ing  down  so  thickly  that  not  one  gleam  of  light 
fell  athwart  the  pathway  of  the  nation.  It  was  under 
these  circumstances  that  the  first  call  of  our  Gov 
ernment  was  made  for  troops  to  defend  the  nation's 
life.  How  like  a  keen  bugle's  blast  the  call  of  our 
President  rang  through  the  North,  asking  for  seven 
ty-five  thousand  men  to  volunteer  as  soldiers  to 
maintain  the  laws  of  the  Government !  How  would 
the  people  respond?  It  was  a  perilous  experiment 
to  ask  men  to  volunteer  under  such  circumstances, 
for  the  rebels  were  all  prepared  for  war,  and  from  a 
human  standpoint  the  odds  were  all  against  the 
North. 

Jefferson  Davis  and  his  cabinet  were  in  session  at 
the  city  of  Montgomery,  Alabama,  when  the  infor 
mation  reached  them  that  President  Lincoln  had 


352  REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR. 

called  for  seventy-five  thousand  volunteers.  These 
arch  traitors  laughed  in  derision  at  the  idea  of  sev 
enty-five  thousand  men  being  found  in  the  great 
cowardly  North,  who  would  volunteer  to  face  the 
gallant  sons  of  the  rebellious  South  upon  the  field  of 
battle.  Many  of  the  empires  across  the  sea  looked 
on  with  smiles,  and  prophesied  that  the  boasted  re 
public  on  the  western  continent  had  come  to  the 
hour  of  its  death.  But  there  were  many  loyal  men 
in  the  North  who  had  been  waiting  with  anxious 
hearts  to  hear  the  first  call  for  help,  and  who,  when 
the  sound  of  that  call  fell  upon  their  ears,  sprang  to 
arms.  Their  answer  to  the  call  rang  out  distinctly 
from  the  mad,  tumbling  waters  of  the  great  Penob- 
scot,  to  the  rocky  ramparts  of  the  nation  beyond  the 
western  plains.  That  answer  was :  "  THE  UNION, 
IT  MUST  AND  SHALL  BE  PRESERVED." 

THE  SOLDIERS'  SACRIFICES. 

Nearly  a  generation  has  passed  away  since  the 
breaking  out  of  the  war,  and  many  of  those  now 
living  know  but  little  of  the  soldiers'  sacrifices. 
These  should  not  be  forgotten ;  the  nation  cannot 
afford  to  have  them  blotted  out,  and  for  that  reason 
I  shall  endeavor  to  enumerate  a  few  of  them.  They 
sacrificed  for  a  time  all  the  domestic  relations  of  life. 
This  may  appear  to  some  as  a  very  small  sacrifice  to 
make.  But  ask  that  man  who,  on  that  eventful 
morning,  kissed  his  wife  good-by,  and  pressed  his  little 
child  to  his  breast  for  the  last  time,  as  he  shouldered 
his  knapsack  and  marched  away,  or  ask  the  smooth 
faced  lad  who  went  forth  to  battle,  with  his  mother's 


REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR.  353 

kiss  damp  upon  his  brow,  and  they  will  tell  you  of  a 
fearful  experience  that  raged  within  their  hearts. 
This  was  one  of  the  greatest  sacrifices  that  men  can 
be  called  upon  to  make  for  the  country,  and  none  but 
patriotic  men  can  make  it.  They  sacrificed  the 
conveniences  and  comforts  of  home  for  the  incon 
veniences  and  sufferings  of  the  field.  No  army  was 
ever  marshaled  upon  the  globe,  that  left  such  homes 
of  comfort  and  luxury  as  did  the  Union  army,  in  the 
war  of  the  rebellion.  They  exchanged  the  mansion 
of  comfort  for  the  miserable  shelter  tent ;  the  soft, 
clean  bed  for  a  soldier's  blanket  spread  upon  the  hard 
ground ;  good,  wholesome  food  for  the  scanty  rations 
of  a  soldier ;  lives  of  ease  and  healthy  labor  for  the 
exhaustion  and  weariness  of  forced  marches ;  they 
threw  aside  for  a  period  of  years  the  personal  liberty 
so  dear  to  every  American  citizen,  and  took  upon 
themselves  a  species  of  slavery,  to  be  commanded  by 
other  men  who  were  frequently  their  inferiors  in  all 
save  military  rank ;  they  exchanged  a  life  of  com 
parative  safety  for  one  impregnated  with  a  thousand 
dangers ;  they  stepped  forth  from  the  peaceful  circles 
of  safety,  within  which  so  many  remained,  and  boldly 
stood  forth  in  the  way  where  death  passed  by,  and 
there  bravely  battled  for  the  principles  of  liberty  and 
justice.  All  these  sacrifices  were  made  for  the  sal 
vation  of  the  Republic. 

THEIR    SUFFERINGS. 

These  men  suffered  without  complaint.  What  a 
lesson  may  be  learned  from  their  example !  We 
often  hear  men  murmur  about  the  burdens  they  bear 


354  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR. 

for  the  Government ;  complain  bitterly  about  the 
war  taxes  that  they  are  obliged  to  pay, — a  tax  levied 
upon  the  property  which  they  accumulated  when  the 
country  was  passing  through  the  throes  of  war.  I 
wonder  if  those  men  ever  stop  and  think  how  much 
their  soldiers  suffered,  sleeping  on  the  hard,  frozen 
ground,  the  cold  winds  sweeping  over  them,  with 
nothing  but  their  thin,  ragged  clothing  to  protect 
them  from  the  elements,  marching  barefooted  over 
the  rough  roads  where  their  tracks  were  stained  with 
blood  that  flowed  from  their  lacerated  feet,  weary 
and  exhausted,  famishing  with  hunger  when  the  Gov 
ernment  had  no  bread  to  give  them ;  lying  for  days 
on  the  battle-fields  between  the  contending  lines, 
with  broken  limbs  and  mangled  bodies,  the  sun  pour 
ing  its  deadly  rays  upon  them,  without  food,  their 
lips  and  throat  parching  with,  thirst,  no  medical  aid, 
and  their  gaping  wounds  festering  in  the  intense 
heat.  All  this  they  endured  without  murmuring, 
to  preserve  the  union  of  states.  What  an  example 
they  have  set  for  us  to  follow  !  How  grandly  their 
characters  compare  with  those  who  murmur  at  imag 
inary  burdens,  and  revile  the  Government  that  those 
men  died  to  save  !  The  patient  sufferings  of  our  sol 
diers  through  those  four  years  of  war  should  be  held 
up  as  object  lessons  before  our  American  youth,  for  all 
the  years  to  come,  that  their  hearts  may  be  molded 
in  the  same  patriotic  love  and  devotion  for  the 
country's  welfare. 

LOYAL   TO   THE   FLAG. 

Our  soldiers  were  always  loyal  to  their  flag,  and 
determined   that   the    rebellion    should  be  crushed. 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR.  355 

Amidst  all  the  disasters  of  that  war  they  never  faltered 
for  a  moment  in  that  heroic  determination.  When 
victory  rested  upon  their  banners,  and  the  rebels  were 
hurled  back  in  defeat,  they  smiled  in  the  confidence 
they  possessed  that  right  would  prevail ;  but  when 
defeat  came,  and  we  were  pressed  back  with  broken 
columns  and  bleeding  battalions,  they  would  turn 
and  defiantly  face  a  triumphant  foe,  and,  with  words 
strangely  prophetic,  declare  that  they  would  continue 
the  struggle  until  the  rebel  flag  was  in  the  dust,  and 
treason  should  lie  dead  at  their  feet.  Never  for  a 
single  moment  would  they  entertain  the  thought  of 
allowing  the  South  to  secede.  But  it  was  not  so  at 
all  times  with  our  loyal  men  at  home.  There  were 
times  when  disasters  came  so  rapidly  that  they  be 
came  discouraged,  when  their  vision  became  so  dim 
med  with  disappointment  that  they  could  not  see 
a  single  ray  of  hope.  I  distinctly  remember  passing 
through  the  State  of  Maine,  with  a  shattered  leg,  in 
the  darkest  period  of  the  war  ;  I  was  passing  from  the 
battle-field  to  my  home,  and  tarried  for  a  few  weeks 
with  friends  in  one  of  the  principal  cities  of  the  state. 
General  Grant  was  pounding  away  at  the  rebels  with 
out  any  apparent  success.  Our  men  were  perishing 
by  thousands.  Each  day  the  telegraph  wires  were 
throbbing  with  new  tales  of  woe.  England  and 
France  were  giving  material  aid  to  the  rebels.  Our 
national  currency  was  almost  worthless.  Great  polit 
ical  conventions  throughout  the  North  were  declaring 
the  war  a  failure,  and  demanding  the  withdrawal  ,of 
our  soldiers  from  the  South.  Men  stood  on  the  streets 
and  boasted  of  the  victories  their  rebel  friends  had 


356  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR. 

won,  and  defiantly  declared  that  they  could  never 
be  compelled  to  remain  within  the  Union.  The  loyal 
men  were  pale  and  sad.  Appeals  came  for  funds  to 
provide  means  of  comfort  for  the  perishing  heroes,  and 
with  nervous  fingers  men  signed  their  checks,  with 
out  stopping  to  think  of  the  princely  sums  they  gave. 
When  these  men  endeavored  to  arrange  and  balance 
the  ledgers,  as  they  had  been  doing  for  years,  in  the 
long  columns  of  figures  they  seemed  only  to  see 
wounded,  groaning,  dying  men — brothers  and  sons  in 
the  winding  sheets  of  death.  With  compressed  lips 
and  unsteady  steps  they  turned  to  their  homes,  and 
within  those  sacred  retreats  they  breathed  the  words 
of  despair  :  "  The  sacrifice  is  too  great  "  ;  "  We  shall 
have  to  let  them  secede  "  ;  "  We  cannot  conquer 
them." 

But  such  words  were  never  spoken  by  men  in  the 
trenches ;  they  stood  firm ;  there  was  not  a  moment 
when  they  would  listen  to  the  thought  of  permitting 
the  rebels  to  destroy  the  Union ;  suffering  seemed  to 
increase  their  loyalty  to  the  country ;  amid  all  the 
horrors  of  those  prisons  in  the  South,  where  they  re 
ceived  treatment  from  their  captors  that  would  bring 
a  blush  of  shame  to  the  cheeks  of  uncivilized  war 
riors,  they  all  remained  loyal  and  true.  Not  a  single 
soldier,  so  far  as  I  know,  entered  the  rebel  army  from 
one  of  those  prisons,  to  escape  from  the  horrible  situ 
ation  in  which  he  was  placed.  My  heart  has  been 
strangely  moved  as  the  survivors  from  those  prisons 
have  told  me  of  the  intense  loyalty  to  the  country 
those  men  exhibited  when  dying.  In  Anderson  ville, 
the  most  hellish  in  its  character  of  all  those  prison 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAE.  357 

pens,  where  our  men  died  by  thousands,  when  their 
forms  became  thin  and  weak,  and  they  discovered 
that  they  were  about  to  die,  they  would  summon 
their  comrades,  and  talk  about  home  and  friends, 
but  more  about  the  old  regiment,  the  flag,  and  the 
country.  One  of  our  regiment  was  dying  there  from 
the  effects  of  hunger  and  festering  wounds,  a  brave, 
noble  youth  from  one  of  our  country  towns  ;  he 
raised  his  thin,  shadowy  hand  and  motioned  for  a 
comrade  to  come ;  the  comrade  bowed  down  over 
the  wasted  form  of  the  dying  hero,  and  as  he  sent 
tender  messages  of  love  to  parents,  brothers,  sisters, 
and  friends,  his  voice  became  so  weak  that  his  com 
rade  supposed  that  he  was  dead,  when  suddenly  he 
raised  his  thin,  weak  arms,  and  clasped  them  around 
his  comrade's  neck,  and  bringing  his  ear  close  to  his 
cold  lips,  exclaimed,  in  a  voice  that  sounded  like  a 
whisper  from  the  eternal  shore,  "  Tell  the  boys  to 
fight  until  the.  rebels  are  whipped,  and  take  good  care 
of  the  old  flag."  His  head  dropped  back  upon  the 
ground,  and  he  was  at  rest. 

It  is  said  that  when  Hannibal  was  a  child,  his 
mother  carried  him  to  a  heathen  temple,  and  there 
placing  his  little  hand  upon  the  sacred  altar  made 
him,  in  the  presence  of  the  gods,  swear  allegiance  to 
his  country.  Men  have  thought  that  the  impres 
sions  and  oath  of  that  hour  had  much  to  do  in  mold 
ing  the  warlike  character  of  that  great  chieftain.  And 
it  would  seem  that  the  mothers  of  these  men  of  whom 
I  write  must  have  carried  them,  in  the  days  of  their 
infancy,  to  our  beloved  temple  of  freedom,  and  there 
consecrated  them  to  their  country's  service,  and  that 


358  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR. 

the  inspiration  of  that   consecration  made  them  the 
loyal  men  of  whom  the  nation  is  so  proud. 

BRAVERY. 

Our  soldiers  were  brave  men,  and  faced  dangers 
fearlessly.  The  nation,  I  fear,  is  forgetting  those  deeds 
of  bravery  too  rapidly.  If  we  could  only  pass  along 
those  battle  lines  once  more,  and  gather  up  those 
feats  of  individual  daring,  so  many  of  which  occurred 
in  every  regiment, — deeds,  which  if  they  had  been 
performed  in  the  Spartan  wars,  or  in  the  days  of  the 
Crusaders,  or  of  Napoleon  the  First,  would  have  been 
recorded  on  the  pages  of  history,  and  would  thrill 
the  passing  generations  as  they  read.  I  wish  we 
could  gather  up  the  unwritten  history  of  the  war, — 
the  deeds  that  were  performed  by  heroes  whose 
names  were  never  known  outside  the  ranks  where 
they  fought,  or  the  beloved  circle  of  friends  at  home, 
and  which,  if  preserved,  would  fill  volumes.  These 
soldiers  were  as  modest  as  they  were  brave,  and 
many  of  them  have  never  spoken  of  the  wild  adven 
tures  through  which  they  passed,  or  of  the  narrow 
escapes,  the  hand-to-hand  encounters  which  they 
experienced,  or  of  the  shot  and  shells  that  went  tear 
ing  past  them,  so  near  that  the  slightest  deviation 
from  their  onward  course  would  have  caused  their 
death.  These  events  are  locked  up  within  their  own 
breasts,  cherished  as  sacred  reminders  of  God's  prov 
idence  in  preserving  their  lives.  But  some  evening, 
as  you  sit  beside  some  maimed  hero,  draw  him  forth 
from  his  seclusion,  get  him  to  unfold  that  secret 
chapter  of  his  life,  and  as  he  proceeds  with  that  won- 


REMINISCENCES   OF    THE   WAR.  359 

derful  narrative,  you  will  decide  that  I  have  not  ex 
aggerated  when  I  have  claimed  that  my  comrades 
were  brave  men. 

BRILLIANT   SOLDIERS. 

In  estimating  the  military  character  of  our  soldiers, 
we  must  always  remember  that  there  was  a  great 
contrast  between  those  men  and  the  soldiers  of  the 
nations  of  Europe.  Their  soldiers  are  trained  for 
war ;  they  know  but  little  else  ;  it  becomes  natural 
for  them  to  fight.  An  old  warrior,  when  surrounded 
by  his  comrades  who  wondered  at  his  thirst  for 
blood,  and  the  reckless  courage  that  he  displayed 
upon  the  battle-field,  replied,  "  It  is  not  my  fault ; 
it  has  become  my  nature ;  I  have  never  been  taught 
anything  else  but  war,"  and  with  an  outburst  of  elo 
quence  continued,  "I  was  born  on  a  helmet,  cradled 
in  a  buckler,  soothed  to  sleep  by  the  music  of  the 
war  dance ;  and  there  was  nothing  that  gave  so  much 
joy  to  my  boyish  heart  as  when  I  saw  the  red  flames 
of  war  leap  forth  from  the  signal  tower  in  my  native 
village."  So  with  the  soldiers  of  other  lands ;  they 
are  born  and  reared  among  the  scenes  and  associa 
tions  of  war,  and  we  must  expect  that  they  will  be 
come  brilliant  soldiers ;  but  our  soldiers  were  born 
amid  the  associations  of  peace ;  they  were  trained  in 
the  peaceful  avocations  of  life  ;  and  when  they  went 
forth  from  the  farms,  the  stores,  the  mills  and  the 
mines,  to  shoulder  the  knapsack  and  the  musket, 
they  had  not  taken  the  first  lesson  in  the  science  of 
war.  But,  notwithstanding  that  great  disadvantage, 
those  men  made  a  record  as  brilliant  as  that  written 
by  the  soldiers  of  any  nation  in  the  present  century. 


360  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAR. 

It  has  been  claimed  by  other  nations  that  our 
American  people  are  boastful  and  selfish ;  but  in 
relation  to  this  subject  I  fear  we  have  passed  to  the 
other  extreme.  When  we  wish  to  speak  of  some 
remarkably  brilliant  feat  of  arms,  we  usually  refer  to 
some  battle  fought  by  the  armies  of  England,  France, 
or  Germany.  But  our  soldiers  gave  us  a  record  of 
our  own,  of  which  either  of  those  nations  would  be 
justly  proud.  Do  we  love  to  behold  the  brilliant 
deeds  of  fearless  men  ?  then  let  us  turn  to  the  bat 
tle  of  Antietam,  down  on  the  left  of  our  line  where 
Burnside's  men  assaulted  the  Stone  Bridge,  and  car 
ried  the  heights  beyond,  or  up  on  the  right  of  our 
line,  where  the  gallant  Hooker  and  his  equally  gal 
lant  men  fought  in  the  corn-field  until  the  ground 
was  wet  and  slippery  with  blood;  let  us  turn  to 
Fredericksburgh,  where  our  solid  columns  charged 
repeatedly  upon  those  fatal  heights,  when  the  men 
in  the  assaulting  columns  knew  that  it  was  impossi 
ble  to  capture  them ;  let  us  go  anywhere  along  the 
line  at  Getty sburgh,  and  see  the  desperate  valor 
displayed  on  the  first  day  of  the  battle,  by  the  gal 
lant  First  corps,  Howard's  defense  on  Cemetery 
Ridge,  Sickles'  bloody  stand  in  the  peach  orchard ; 
or  view  the  ragged  side  of  Little  Round  Top,  where 
Chamberlain  and  his  regiment  so  distinguished  them 
selves.  And  thus  it  was  through  every  campaign  ; 
at  the  storming  of  Missionary  Ridge  by  the  army  of 
the  Southwest,  or  where  Hooker's  men  climbed 
so  far  up  the  bold,  rugged  sides  of  Lookout  Moun 
tain  that  they  stood  above  the  clouds,  and  so  that 
the  glare  of  their  victorious  guns  shone  down  like 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR.  361 

lightning  from  the  skies.  With  what  admiration 
should  the  American  people  look  upon  that  brill 
iant  record !  There  were  many  individual  deeds 
performed  in  that  war,  any  one  of  which  will  give 
us  a  military  reputation  throughout  the  world,  for 
ages.  Let  us  for  a  moment  review  a  small  number 
of  them.  Think  of  the  grand  old  frigate  Cumber 
land,  in  Hampton  Roads,  shot  through  and  through 
by  the  rebel  Merrimac,  quivering  in  the  throes  of 
death;  refusing  to  surrender,  and  firing  her  last 
broadside  of  defiance  with  the  muzzles  of  her  guns 
beneath  the  surface  of  the  water  as  she  went  down 
to  a  watery  grave.  Think  of  the  gray-haired  old 
admiral  lashing  himself  in  the  main-top  of  his  flag 
ship  in  advance  of  all  his  fleet,  ordering  on  a  double 
head  of  steam,  and  dashing  ahead  into  the  fleet  of 
the  foe,  like  a  crazed  demon,  smiting  destruction  on 
every  hand  as  he  disappeared  amidst  the  dun  clouds 
of  war.  Think  of  the  great  chieftain  cutting  loose 
from  his  base  of  supplies,  at  the  head  of  a  magnifi 
cent  army  sweeping  from  "  Atlanta  to  the  sea,"  leav 
ing  a  trail  of  desolation  forty  miles  wide  as  he  ad 
vanced, — a  man  who  wrote  history  with  the  point  of 
his  sword,  and  put  in  great  victories  as  punctuation 
points.  Think  of  the  solitary  horseman  dashing 
along  the  turnpike,  to  check  the  retreat  of  a  defeated 
army,  and  to  snatch  a  glorious  victory  from  the 
bloody  jaws  of  a  disastrous  defeat.  Think  of  the 
grim,  silent  man,  rising  from  dense  obscurity  by  the 
prowess  of  his  own  arm,  until  he  commanded  all 
our  armies  with  such  skill  that  an  astonished  world 
cried  out,  "  Behold  the  greatest  captain  of  the  nine- 
16 


362  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE  WAR. 

teenth  century !  "  It  is  a  brilliant  record  that  our 
soldiers  left  as  a  heritage  to  our  country,  and  as 
such,  may  we  cherish  it  in  gratitude  and  patriotic 
love. 

THE   RESULTS 

Gathered  from  the  civil  war  are  so  many  and  of 
such  importance  that  ull  must  be  convinced  of  the 
fact  that  the  great  sacrifice  of  human  life  was  not 
made  in  vain.  I  will  enumerate  a  few  of  them. 

SLAVERY, 

That  plague-spot  upon  the  Republic,  whose  ex 
istence  was  a  source  of  perpetual  strife,  an  institu 
tion  that  was  begotten  in  crime,  and  was  nursed 
upon  the  most  cruel  and  outrageous  wrongs  ever 
perpetrated  by  a  civilized  government  upon  human 
beings,  perished  in  the  home  of  its  friends,  struck 
dead  by  the  blow  that  it  had  inspired  its  own  devo 
tees  to  strike  against  the  Government.  Were  this 
the  only  result  derived  from  the  war,  all  freemen 
would  say  that  it  was  not  in  vain. 

STATE   RIGHTS. 

This  doctrine  was  a  legitimate  offspring  of  slavery, 
and  received  its  death-blow  from  the  hands  of  our 
soldiers.  It  is  almost  impossible  for  us  to  believe 
the  written  history  of  the  past,  with  reference  to  the 
teachings  and  claims  of  this  infamous  doctrine, — that 
the  old  Union  was  simply  a  confederation  of  sover 
eign  states,  the  authority  of  either  being  superior  to 
that  of  the  union  of  them  all,  and  any  state  having  the 
right  at  any  time  to  repudiate  the  bond  of  union, 


REMINISCENCES   OP  THE  WAR.  363 

and  the  other  states  having  no  right  to  object.  It 
was  the  most  dangerous  political  creed  that  was  ever 
taught  in  America,  but  it  was  gloriously  shattered 
in  the  civil  war.  When  Father  Abraham  took  the 
old  Union  whip,  and  deliberately  compelled  the  thir 
teen  unruly  children  to  come  back  into  the  Union, 
this  doctrine  was  at  a  discount ;  it  was  dead,  never 
to  be  successfully  resurrected.  A  few  political  "Rip 
Van  Winkles  "  may  now  and  then  dolefully  declaim 
about  the  sacred  doctrine  of  State  Rights,  but  any 
political  party  that  is  simple  enough  to  embody  that 
doctrine  within  its  pla'tform  of  principles,  is  doomed 
to  defeat.  Such  an  organization  must  crumble  be 
fore  the  ballots  of  intelligent  freemen,  as  the  Con 
federacy  crumbled  before  the  bullets  of  our  soldiers. 
We  rolled  this  heresy  in  its  winding-sheet,  and  laid 
it  to  rest  upon  the  plains  of  Appomattox.  "  Peace 
to  its  ashes,"  and  pity  for  its  mourners. 

THE    NEW   SOUTH 

Is  rapidly  coming  to  the  front,  and  the  old  South  is 
passing  from  view.  "Mason  and  Dixoii's"  line  is  no 
longer  an  impassable  barrier,  over  which  the  nervous 
energy  and  skillful  labor  of  the  North  is  not  allowed 
to  pass.'  That  line  was  blotted  out  in  blood,  and 
when  the  clouds  of  war  passed,  the  South  with  its 
genial  climate,  fertile  soil,  magnificent  water-powers, 
and  undeveloped  mines,  lay  at  the  feet  of  the  nation, 
asking  with  mute  lips  for  honest  labor,  skillful  enter 
prise,  accumulated  capital,  and  the  inspiration  of  a 
creative  genius,  and  all  were  freely  given ;  the  rugged, 
healthy  blood  of  the  North  was  breathed  through 


364  REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR. 

the  enfeebled  Southern  system.  A  score  of  years 
only  have  passed,  but  already  the  South  is  thrilled 
with  new  life,  and  is  marching  to  the  front.  It  is 
capable  of  becoming  the  most  wealthy  and  influential 
section  of  our  vast  national  domain,  and  we  believe 
that  such  is  its  destiny, — that  the  land  drenched  so 
profusely  with  the  blood  of  our  brave  men  will  pour 
a  vast  and  magnificent  stream  of  wealth  into  the 
treasury  of  our  nation,  that  will  bring  to  it  many 
elements  of  strength,  and  add  permanence  to  its  in 
stitutions.  Without  the  civil  war,  and  the  bloody 
victories  gained  by  the  "boys  in  blue,"  the  new  South 
would  have  been  an  impossibility. 


There  were  some  facts  developed  in  regard  to  the 
negroes  in  that  bloody  strife  which  appear  remarkable 
when  we  consider  their  moral  condition  and  the  po 
sitions  in  which  they  were  placed.  When  our  white 
brothers  in  the  South  look  in  haughty  disdain  upon 
the  negroes,  and  question  as  to  what  rights  they 
should  expect  to  exercise  under  our  Government, 
I  think  it  would  be  wise  for  "  Uncle  Sam"  to  whis 
per  these  facts,  thus  developed,  in  the  ears  of  his 
proud  spirited  sons.  In  all  those  eventful  -years  no 
negro  was  ever  found  in  a  traitor's  uniform.  The 
"  stars  and  bars "  had  no  beauty  for  them ;  they 
had  not  forgotten  the  old  "  stars  and  stripes."  There 
were  plenty  of  white  men  in  the  South  who  were 
willing  to  shoot  and  starve  Union  prisoners,  but  no 
black  man  was  found  base  enough  to  do  such  work, 
although  slavery  had  kept  them  in  ignorance  and 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAK.  365 

degradation,  although,  their  virtues  had  been  de 
bauched  to  gratify  the  passions  of  their  owners, 
although  the  Government  itself  had  allowed  them  to 
be  placed  on  a  level  with  the  common  animal.  But 
notwithstanding  all  this,  beneath  each  black  skin  there 
was  a  human  heart  that  disdained  to  descend  to  depths 
of  infamy  that  would  permit  them  to  so  treat  their 
fellow  creatures.  They  never  misused  a  Union  pris 
oner,  but  were  to  them  angels  of  mercy,  aiding 
them  in  their  terrible  flight  for  life  from  those  prison 
pens,  giving  the  last  crumb  of  bread  and  meat  in 
their  possession,  guiding  them  through  the  trackless 
forests  and  across  the  bayous  and  rivers,  concealing 
them  by  skillful  devices  when  the  hoarse  deep  baying 
of  the  pursuing  blood-hounds  came  too  near.  They 
fought  heroically  when  marshaled  under  the  stars  and 
stripes,  so  that,  when  the  war  closed;  they  had  nobly 
earned  the  ballot  that  the  Government  placed  in  their 
hands.  With  deep  interest  and  much  gratitude  the 
old  soldiers  have  watched  their  struggles  and  rapid  de 
velopment  in  all  the  elements  of  good  citizenship  since 
the  close  of  the  war.  As  these  two  races  march  be 
side  each  other  in  the  struggle  of  life,  we  only  ask  and 
demand  that  those  who,  in  their  poverty,  did  all  they 
could  to  save  the  nation  and  assist  its  defenders, 
shall  not  be  deprived  of  their  sacred  rights  by  those 
who  fought  to  destroy  the  nation,  and  rejoiced  in  the 
death  of  its  soldiers.  Give  the  "  brothers  in  black  " 
an  equal  chance  with  other  citizens.  Let  the  general 
Government  protect  the  rights  of  every  citizen,  with 
out  regard  to  color  or  race.  That  is  all  we  ask, 
and  that  we  have  a  right  to  demand. 


366  REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR. 

RESPECT   FOR   THE   FLAG 

Was  a  lesson  faithfully  taught  by  the  Union  sol 
diers  to  all  sections  of  the  country.  Prior  to  the  war 
it  was  no  unusual  occurrence  for  men  to  talk  about 
destroying  the  American  flag.  If  every  petty  griev 
ance,  whether  actual  or  fancied,  was  not  immediately 
adjusted  to  their  satisfaction,  why,  the  old  flag  must 
perish,  but  a  new  principle  in  relation  to  the  flag  was 
begotten  in  the  civil  war.  General  John  A.  Dix  was 
the  first  man  in  authority  who  embodied  that  princi 
ple  in  words.  When  his  subordinate  officer  in  the 
South,  at  the  outbreak  of  the  rebellion,  sent  him  a 
telegram  of  inquiry  as  to  what  course  he  should  pur 
sue  if  the  rebels  attempted  to  take  possession  of 
his  position,  the  Spartan  Dix  replied :  "  If  any 
man  haul  down  the  American  flag,  shoot  him  on  the 
spot"  and  the  soldiers  all  responded,  Amen.  We 
rather  liked  that  doctrine,  and  resolved  that,  for  the 
country's  good,  we  would  perpetuate  it.  With  long 
lines  of  bristling  steel  we  wrote  that  principle  upon 
the  escutcheon  of  the  nation.  Twenty  j^ears  have 
passed,  but  that  writing  distinctly  remains ;  it  will 
never  be  blotted  out ;  he  who  runs  may  read  it.  As 
a  result  Americans  have  ceased  to  insult  the  flag. 
This  flag  floats  in  triumph  above  a  united  and  patri 
otic  people,  unto  whom  it  is  an  emblem  of  supreme 
authority,  before  which  they  bow  in  loyal  devotion 
and  loving  obedience. 

OUR  REPUBLIC  IS  AT  THE  FRONT, 

Among  the  nations  of  the  earth;  it  was  placed 
there  by  the  heroism  of  our  soldiers.  That  Europe 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  WAR.  367 

had  no  faith  in  the  permanence  of  our  institutions, 
is  shown  from  the  fact  that  it  was  almost  an  impos 
sible  task  for  us  to  place  a  small  government  loan  in 
their  financial  markets  just  before  the  breaking  out 
of  the  rebellion.  Those  nations  always  sneered  at 
our  claims  to  national  power,  and  some  of  them 
eagerly  loaned  their  assistance  to  the  Confederates, 
as  they  attempted  to  destroy  the  Union.  But  all 
that  has  changed ;  our  national  securities  are  consid 
ered  among  the  best  in  the  world ;  and  the  way  we 
are  grappling  with  our  national  debt  is  a  marvel  to 
all  financiers.  The  world  recognizes  the  fact,  at  last, 
that  we  are  a  powerful  people,  and  even  England 
learned  a  lesson  as  she  listened  to  the  roar  of  our 
guns,  and  for  once  in  her  history,  in  the  court  of  na 
tions,  at  Geneva,  acknowledged  that  she  was  in  the 
wrong.  Immigration  is  pouring  like  an  infinite  tide 
upon  our  shores ;  our  population  is  over  fifty  millions 
of  people ;  our  resources  are  being  developed  ;  and  our 
national  outlook  is  most  hopeful.  All  this  is  a  direct 
result,  gathered  as  the  fruit  of  the  sacrifices  made  by 
our  noble  soldiers.  Truly,  as  we  thus  enumerate  the 
results  of  the  war,  we  understand  the  importance  of 
the  principles  for  which  they  fought. 

OUR   DEAD 

Are  not  forgotten.  One  day  of  each  year  is  de 
voted  to  the  sacred  duty  of  scattering  our  tears  and 
flowers  upon  their  graves,  a  service  which  we  cheer 
fully  perform.  The  little  mounds  in  the  cemeteries 
that  we  decorate  are  becoming  more  numerous  each 
year,  as  our  comrades  are  transferred  from  the  visible 


368  REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR. 

to  the  invisible  ranks.  But  a  great  portion  of  our 
dead  are  not  in  these  cemeteries  ;  their  dust  is  in 
the  far  South,  where  they  fell,  at  Antietam,  Freder- 
icksburgh,  the  Wilderness,  and  in  the  wild  mountain 
gorges  around  Chattanooga.  A  mother  said  to  me 
recently,  "  I  wish  my  poor  boy  was  buried  here,  so 
that  I  could  put  the  flowers  on  his  grave,  sing  hymns 
above  his  ashes,  and  stand  as  a  guardian  over  his 
precious  dust."  I  presume  many  others  have  felt 
the  same,  as  they  have  thought  that  there  were  no 
flowers  or  music  above  the  ashes  of  their  sons,  and  no 
one  to  care  for  their  last  resting-place.  But  that  is 
not  the  case.  God  has  not  forgotten  the  brave  men 
who  went  down  in  death,  to  preserve  the  institutions 
of  liberty  and  right ;  and  while  you  are  decorating 
the  graves  in  your  cemeteries,  the  vines  are  creeping 
over  the  little  mounds  in  the  South,  and  those  beau 
tiful  flowers  are  blushing  in  all  their  new-born  beauty, 
as  if  our  kind  Heavenly  Father  had  sent  his  angels 
down  to  plant  them  above  the  honored  dead,  while 
the  feathered  songsters  in  those  tangled  thickets  are 
making  music  more  divine  than  any  ever  made  by 
human  voices.  I  believe  those  remains  are  guarded. 
Sometimes,  while  the  great  storms  are  raging,  my 
thoughts  have  gone  forth  to  those  scenes  of  strife  and 
carnage,  where  we  buried  our  men  by  thousands  in 
the  rough,  rude  ditches  ;  I  have  thought  that  I  would 
love  to  stand  there  in  the  solitude  and  darkness,  and 
listen.  There  would  be  the  sobbing  of  the  storm,  the 
moanings  of  the  wind,  the  rustling  of  the  boughs  ;  and 
I  fancy  that  I  should  almost  hear  the  rustle  and  tramp 
of  the  unseen  sentinels  sent  down  to  guard  the  ashes 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   WAR.  369 

of  the  fallen  hosts.  They  are  safe,  and  when  the 
bugle  call  shall  sound  the  last  reveille,  they  will 
come  forth  in  the  glorious  uniforms  of  immortality, 
form  their  ranks  upon  the  parade  ground  of  eternity, 
and  salute  the  great  Captain  of  the  ages. 

THE   SURVIVORS 

Are  now  a  numerous  company  ;  we  find  some  in 
almost  every  circle.  We  have  not  forgotten  the  old 
experiences  of  army  life ;  we  remember  our  duties  to 
the  memory  of  our  fallen  comrades,  and  their  suffer 
ing  families  who  survive  them;  we  cherish  the 
same  love  for  the  country  that  we  had  in  the  days 
when  love  for  country  was  shown  by  sacrifices.  We 
have  not  forgotten  each  other.  Great  changes  are 
taking  place  within  our  ranks ;  time  is  leaving  his 
imprint.  Some  of  our  comrades  are  now  aged  men, 
with  furrowed  brows  and  gray  hair,  and  we,  who 
then  were  mere  lads,  are  now  sweeping  on  beyond 
the  point  of  middle  age  ;  our  numbers  are  growing 
less  each  year ;  death  is  thinning  our  ranks.  We 
are  now  an  army  for  which  there  are  no  recruits ; 
the  tide  is  bearing  us  on ;  we  are  facing  the  situa 
tion  as  manfully  as  we  can ;  we  cling  to  each  other ; 
earth  knows  but  few  ties  more  sacred  than  these 
which  bind  us  together, — relations  baptized  in  blood. 
We  gather  in  our  Grand  Army  Halls,  to  fight  our  bat 
tles  over  again,  to  sing  the  old  patriotic  songs  once 
more,  and  under  that  inspiration,  to  reform  our  ranks, 
while  we  "  shoulder  arms,'*  and  awkwardly  march  to 
the  music  of  the  fife  and  drum.  We  derive  satisfac 
tion  from  that. 

*16 


370  REMINISCENCES   OP  THE  WAR. 

Many  of  those  who  were  not  soldiers  wonder  why 
we  cling  to  each  other  as  we  do  ;  they  are  surprised 
to  see  us  so  harmonious,  regardless  of  race,  creeds 
and  politics,  but  it  does  not  surprise  us.  We  shall 
all  soon  be  "  mustered  out,"  and  it  will  seem  very 
lonesome  to  those  who  are  among  the  last  to  go.  I 
do  not  want  to  be  in  that  relief ;  it  will  be  a  lonely 
task  for  the  last  detail  to  stand  all  alone,  after  the 
great  army  has  passed  by,  and  hold  the  few  scattering 
picket  posts  until  they,  too,  are  withdrawn.  But  we 
must  make  the  best  of  our  situation ;  we  are  all 
under  marching  orders,  and  while  we  await  the  final 
summons,  let  us  obtain  all  the  information  we  can 
about  the  country  unto  which  we  are  ordered  to 
march,  have  our  equipments  in  excellent  order,  and 
be  prepared  to  strike  tents.  Dear  old  comrades, 
may  we  be  wise  unto  our  salvation,  and  come  into 
possession  of  the  countersign  while  it  is  possible  to 
obtain  it. 

OUR   REWARD 

Is  to  be  sufficient  to  repay  us  for  all  we  have  suf 
fered  and  sacrificed  for  the  country.  As  we  may 
honestly  differ  upon  questions  which  relate  to  the 
future,  I  will  only  speak  of  the  earthly  reward  we 
shall  receive.  Our  conscience  repays  us  each  day  for 
all  we  ever  endured  in  the  service  of  the  Government 
It  is  a  great  satisfaction  to  us,  as  we  behold  our  mag 
nificent  Republic,  to  think  that,  when  it  was  in  peril, 
when  the  hand  of  the  assassin  was  at  its  throat,  and 
it  called  our  name,  we  responded  by  doing  all  in  our 
power  to  deliver  it  from  its  foe.  It  is  a  grand  tiling  to 


KEMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAB.  371 

know  that  we  are  worthy  of  tne  country  in  which  we 
live,  and  that  we  are  permitted  to  leave  a  rich  legacy 
to  our  children.  Many  of  us  may  not  leave  to  our 
children  much  worldly  wealth,  or  high  social  position, 
but  we  leave  them  something  more  precious  than 
those.  I  would  rather  have  my  boy  stand  by  my 
grave  and  say,  "My  father  was  wounded  in  the 
Wilderness,  and  fought  with  Phil.  Sheridan  at  Five 
Forks,  and  saw  Lee  surrender  at  Appomattox,"  than 
to  have  him  say  that  I  was  a  millionaire,  or  a  member 
of  the  United  States  Senate. 

The  country  itself  loves  and  honors  us  for  the  ser 
vice  we  rendered  it.  The  soldiers  are  coming  to  the 
front,  into  the  positions  of  trust  and  honor.  When 
they  are  worthy  of  those  places,  the  people  love  to  put 
them  into  those  positions,  as  a  reward  for  their  patriot 
ism.  Some  few  complain  at  this,  but  the  powerful  tide 
of  public  sentiment  is  against  them,  and  other  things 
being  equal,  the  soldier  candidate  for  position  is  bound 
to  win.  The  country  will  always  honor  our  memory, 
and  not  forget  us  when  we  have  vanished  from  its 
sight.  Our  graves  will  not  be  neglected  when  there 
are  no  Grand  Army  comrades  to  scatter  their  floral 
offerings  upon  them.  This  ceremony  is  to  be  handed 
from  one  generation  to  another  ;  it  is  to  increase  in 
interest  and  solemnity  as  the  ages  advance  and  recede. 
Perhaps  we  may  be  permitted  to  view  these  cere 
monies,  looking  down  over  the  ramparts,  a  hundred 
years  hence.  What  a  spectacle,  aged  men  and 
women,  those  in  the  vigor  of  middle  life,  young 
ladies  and  gentlemen,  the  children  in  white  apparel 
gathering  in  the  cemeteries,  beneath  the  shadow  of 


372  REMINISCENCES   OF  THE   WAR. 

the  soldiers'  monument,  with  grateful  hearts,  hymns 
of  praise  and  beautiful  flowers  to  decorate  the 
mounds  that  contain  the  ashes  of  the  once  great 
army  of  the  Republic  ! 

Our  country  will  be  a  great  nation  then ;  its  re 
sources  will  be  well  developed ;  it  will  probably  con 
tain  two  hundred  millions  of  people,  and  be  the 
center  of  the  world.  But  those  people,  standing  in 
the  midst  of  all  that  national  glory  and  power,  will 
turn  their  tearful  eyes  heavenward,  and  devoutly 
thank  God  that,  away  back  in  the  days  of  war  and 
peril,  there  were  men  grand  enough  to  sacrifice 
everything,  if  by  so  doing,  they  could  save  the  nation 
from  an  untimely  end.  And  as  we  survey  it  all,  our 
reward  will  be  sufficient,  and  we  shall  exclaim  to 
each  other,  SATISFIED,  SATISFIED. 


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